Question 1

Why is the verb spendere in the infinitive when the English translation says "spending"?

Accepted Answer

In Italian, when you use invece di (instead of) followed by an action, that action must always be in the infinitive (the base form ending in -are, -ere, or -ire). Even though English uses the "-ing" form, Italian sticks to the infinitive spendere.

Question 2

Could I use anziché instead of invece di in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Anziché is a direct synonym for invece di. If you use it, you drop the di. The sentence would simply be: Anziché spendere troppo, risparmio per il viaggio.

Question 3

Why doesn't troppo change its ending here?

Accepted Answer

Here, troppo is acting as an adverb because it modifies the verb spendere (describing how much you spend). Adverbs never change their endings. If it were describing a plural noun, like "too many euros", it would act as an adjective and change its ending, such as troppi euro.

Question 4

How do I know when to use risparmio (from risparmiare) for "to save"?

Accepted Answer

The verb risparmiare is specifically used for saving money, time, or resources. If you want to say "save" in the sense of rescuing someone or something from danger, such as saving a life, you would use a completely different verb: salvare.

Invece di spendere troppo, risparmio per il viaggio.

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