Breakdown of Riesci a distinguere entrambe le ragazze?
la ragazza
the girl
riuscire
to manage / to succeed
a
(linking a verb to a following infinitive)
entrambi
both
distinguere
to distinguish
Questions & Answers about Riesci a distinguere entrambe le ragazze?
Why does the sentence use the article le in entrambe le ragazze? In English we just say "both girls".
How would I say this using the tutti e due structure instead of entrambe?
Why use riesci a instead of puoi for "can you"?
While potere (where puoi comes from) means "can" in the sense of having permission or a general possibility, riuscire means "to manage to" or "to be able to" do something through effort, skill, or overcoming a difficulty. Distinguishing the two girls requires visual or mental effort, making riesci the most natural choice.
Why is there an a between riesci and distinguere?
The verb riuscire requires the preposition a when it is followed by another action (an infinitive verb). The pattern is always riuscire a + infinitive, which gives us riesci a distinguere.
Learn Riesci a distinguere entrambe le ragazze 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