Log inSign up

Si è addormentato nel passeggino; lo sto spostando nella culla.

Si è addormentato nel passeggino; lo sto spostando nella culla.
He fell asleep in the stroller; I am moving him into the crib.
From Lesson 268:Pronouns with the progressive (lo sto facendo)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Si è addormentato nel passeggino; lo sto spostando nella culla.

Why is lo placed before the verb in lo sto spostando? Could it go at the end?
Yes, you have two choices! With the progressive form (stare + gerund), direct object pronouns like lo can either go right before the conjugated verb (lo sto spostando) or attach directly to the end of the gerund (sto spostandolo). Both are perfectly correct and mean the same thing.
Why does the first part use Si è addormentato instead of an avere past tense?
The verb here is addormentarsi (to fall asleep), which is reflexive. In the passato prossimo (the past tense used here), all reflexive verbs must use essere as their helper verb, which is why it uses è instead of ha.
Why do we use nel and nella instead of just the preposition in?
In Italian, when a preposition like in is followed by a definite article (the word for "the"), they merge into one word. In + il merges into nel for the masculine passeggino (stroller), and in + la merges into nella for the feminine culla (crib).
Could I use the verb muovere instead of spostando to say I am moving him?
Usually, no. Spostare specifically means to shift or relocate an object or person from one spot to another, which fits perfectly here. Muovere or the reflexive muoversi is used more for physical movement, like moving your body or waving your arms.

Learn Si è addormentato nel passeggino; lo sto spostando nella culla and more in Italian

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Italian →