Breakdown of Lo struzzo si è messo a beccare il vetro.
il vetro
the glass
a
(linking a verb to a following infinitive)
lo struzzo
the ostrich
mettersi a
to start (doing something)
beccare
to peck
Questions & Answers about Lo struzzo si è messo a beccare il vetro.
How does si è messo a translate to "started to" when mettere usually means "to put"?
The phrase mettersi a followed by an infinitive is a common Italian expression for sudden inception, meaning "to begin" or "to set about" doing something. It translates literally as "to put oneself to [do something]".
Why is the auxiliary verb essere (è) used here instead of avere?
Because mettersi a is a reflexive verb. In compound tenses like the passato prossimo, all reflexive and pronominal verbs require essere. As a result, the past participle must agree with the masculine singular subject, becoming messo.
Why does struzzo take the article lo instead of il?
Could il vetro refer to a drinking glass that the ostrich is pecking?
No, vetro refers specifically to the material of glass, or a sheet of glass like a window or zoo enclosure. If you want to talk about a drinking glass, you would use the word bicchiere.
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