Question 1

What exactly does d'altronde add to this sentence, and could I use del resto instead?

Accepted Answer

D'altronde introduces a justification or a contrasting but complementary point. Here, it translates nicely to "after all" or "on the other hand," showing that not spoiling him justifies why they don't reassure him unconditionally. Yes, you could absolutely use del resto here—it is a direct synonym and would carry the exact same meaning.

Question 2

Is it redundant to use both ma and d'altronde together?

Accepted Answer

Not at all! While ma connects the two clauses as a simple "but", d'altronde adds the specific nuance of "after all." You could drop the ma and just write spesso, d'altronde non vogliamo..., but combining them as ma d'altronde is extremely common and natural in Italian to emphasize the contrast.

Question 3

Why is the pronoun lo placed before the verb in lo tranquillizziamo, but attached to the end of viziarlo?

Accepted Answer

This is a great reminder of pronoun placement rules. With regular conjugated verbs like tranquillizziamo, the object pronoun goes immediately before the verb. However, viziarlo uses the infinitive viziare (to spoil). When attaching a pronoun to an infinitive, you drop the final -e and stick the pronoun directly onto the end.

Question 4

What other meanings does the verb viziare have?

Accepted Answer

In this context, viziare means "to spoil" or "to pamper" a person or a pet. However, it can also mean "to taint," "to corrupt," or "to invalidate" in more formal contexts (like a flawed document). It is related to the noun il vizio, which means a vice or a bad habit.

Lo tranquillizziamo spesso, ma d'altronde non vogliamo viziarlo.

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