Breakdown of Prima mi diplomo, poi mi laureo.
prima
before, earlier
poi
then, afterwards
diplomarsi
to graduate (high school)
laurearsi
to graduate from university (cf. la laurea)
Questions & Answers about Prima mi diplomo, poi mi laureo.
Why are there two different words for "graduate" (diplomarsi and laurearsi)?
Both verbs have mi in front of them. Are they reflexive?
Yes, both diplomarsi and laurearsi are reflexive verbs. Literally, it is like saying "I graduate myself." You must always include the correct reflexive pronoun (mi, ti, si, etc.) when conjugating them.
The English translation implies a future sequence of events. Why does Italian use the present tense here?
In Italian, the present tense is very commonly used to talk about future plans, especially when you are certain they will happen. You could use the future tense (Prima mi diplomerò, poi mi laureerò), but the present tense makes it sound like a firm, decided plan.
How would I report this statement in the past using indirect speech?
If you wanted to report what this person said in the past ("He said that first he..."), the present indicative verbs backshift to the imperfetto. You would say: Ha detto che prima si diplomava, poi si laureava. Notice that you must also change the reflexive pronoun from mi to si to match the new subject!
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