Learn Italian: Il fratellino fa i capricci; lo sto calmando. - The little brother is throwing tantrums; I am calming him down.

Il fratellino fa i capricci; lo sto calmando.

The little brother is throwing tantrums; I am calming him down.

Breakdown of Il fratellino fa i capricci; lo sto calmando.

fare

to do / to make

stare

to stay, to feel, to be

him/it (direct object)

il fratellino

the little brother

Questions & Answers about Il fratellino fa i capricci; lo sto calmando.

Why is lo placed before sto rather than attached to the gerund calmando?

With the progressive form (stare + gerund), you have two options for object pronouns like lo. You can put the pronoun before the conjugated verb (lo sto calmando) or attach it to the end of the gerund (sto calmandolo). Both are completely correct and mean the same thing.

Why use the verb fare in fa i capricci to mean "is throwing tantrums"?

In Italian, the set phrase for throwing a tantrum is fare i capricci (literally "to make whims" or "to make tantrums"). Languages often pair different verbs with nouns for everyday actions, so you can't translate the English verb "throw" directly here.

How does the suffix in fratellino change the meaning of fratello?

The suffix -ino is a diminutive. When added to fratello (brother), it turns the word into "little brother." It is a very common way in Italian to indicate small size or affection without having to use a separate adjective like piccolo.

Why is the first verb just fa (simple present) when the English translation says "is throwing"?