Breakdown of Il donatore ha contribuito al volontariato, e noi dobbiamo fare altrettanto.
e
and
noi
we
avere
to have
fare
to do / to make
a
to / at
dovere
must
il donatore
donor
contribuire
to contribute
il volontariato
volunteer work
altrettanto
as much, as many, likewise
Questions & Answers about Il donatore ha contribuito al volontariato, e noi dobbiamo fare altrettanto.
Why is altrettanto used here instead of lo stesso?
Altrettanto works perfectly here as an adverb meaning "likewise" or "the same amount". While you could say fare lo stesso (to do the same), fare altrettanto is a very natural and common Italian expression for "to do likewise". Because it acts as an adverb modifying the verb fare, it does not change its ending.
Would altrettanto change its ending to altrettanti if the "we" doing the action were a group of men?
No, it stays exactly as it is. In this sentence, altrettanto is an adverb modifying the verb fare. Adverbs are invariable, meaning they never change to match gender or number. Altrettanto only changes its ending when it acts as an adjective directly attached to a noun, like in the phrase altrettanti donatori (as many donors).
Why is the preposition al used before volontariato?
The verb contribuire (to contribute) requires the preposition a to introduce the thing being contributed to. Because volontariato is a noun and takes the definite article il, the preposition a and the article il combine to form al (a + il = al).
Learn Il donatore ha contribuito al volontariato, e noi dobbiamo fare altrettanto 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