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Accendo il fuoco con un fiammifero.

Accendo il fuoco con un fiammifero.
I light the fire with a match.
From Lesson 122:Irregular informal commands (sii, fa', sta')·Italian

Questions & Answers about Accendo il fuoco con un fiammifero.

Wait, doesn't accendere usually mean "to turn on" (like a TV or computer)?
Yes! You will often use accendere for switching on electronics, lights, or engines. But its original, literal meaning is "to ignite" or "to light," which is exactly why it is used here for lighting a fire (il fuoco).
What is the infinitive of accendo, and is it irregular?
The infinitive is accendere (to light / to turn on). It is perfectly regular in the present tense. However, watch out when you use it in the past tense: its past participle is irregular (acceso), so "I lit the fire" would be ho acceso il fuoco.
How do you make il fuoco plural?
The plural is i fuochi. Because fuoco ends in -co, you have to add an h before the plural -i ending to maintain the hard "k" sound.
Is there a trick to remembering the word fiammifero?
Look at the first part of the word: fiamma means "flame" in Italian. The second half comes from a Latin root meaning "to carry." So a fiammifero is literally a "flame-carrier"!

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