Log inSign up

I ragni fanno paura al bambino.

I ragni fanno paura al bambino.
Spiders scare the child.
From Lesson 121:Negative commands (non...)·Italian

Questions & Answers about I ragni fanno paura al bambino.

Why is there an "I" before "ragni" if the English translation is just "Spiders"?
In English, we usually leave out "the" when talking about things in general, like "spiders". In Italian, you almost always need the definite article when talking about broad categories. So, you must say I ragni (the spiders).
Literally, what does "fanno paura" mean here?
It literally means "they make fear". Italian frequently uses the verb fare (to make or do) combined with a noun to describe causing a feeling. So, fanno paura means "they cause fear" or "they scare".
Why is it "al bambino" instead of just "il bambino"?
The full expression is fare paura a qualcuno (to make fear to someone). Because the action is directed to the child, you need the preposition a (to). It combines with the definite article il (the) to form the combined word al (to the).
This sentence uses "fare paura" (to cause fear). How would you tell the child "Don't be scared!" using the negative imperative from this lesson?
While fare paura means to cause fear, to be scared is avere paura (to have fear). To tell one person (tu) not to do something, you use non + the infinitive verb. So, "Don't be scared!" is Non avere paura!

Learn I ragni fanno paura al bambino 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 →