Breakdown of Ognuno sa fare una capriola.
una
a / an (feminine)
fare
to do / to make
sapere
to know
ognuno
everyone / each one
Questions & Answers about Ognuno sa fare una capriola.
Why use sa fare instead of può fare or riesce a fare?
In Italian, sapere + infinitive is used for acquired skills—literally "knowing how" to do something. Since doing a somersault is a learned physical skill, sa is the best choice. Può fare would mean everyone has permission or the opportunity right now, while riesce a fare would mean everyone manages to do it despite it being an active struggle.
Is there a reason there is no preposition between sa and fare?
Yes! When used to express ability, sapere acts like a modal verb (just like potere, volere, and dovere). It connects directly to the following infinitive without needing a preposition like a or di. This is an important contrast to riuscire, which always requires the preposition a (riuscire a fare).
Why is the verb sa in the singular if ognuno means "everyone"?
Could I say Tutti sanno fare instead of using Ognuno?