Learn Italian: È brutto curiosare nella vita altrui. - It is bad to snoop into other people's lives.

È brutto curiosare nella vita altrui.

It is bad to snoop into other people's lives.

Breakdown of È brutto curiosare nella vita altrui.

in the (in + il) / while / upon (doing something)

brutto

ugly / bad (appearance, situation)

Questions & Answers about È brutto curiosare nella vita altrui.

Why is altrui placed after vita rather than before it like most possessive adjectives?

The indefinite possessive adjective altrui (meaning other people's or of others) is an exception to the usual possessive rules. It is always placed strictly after the noun it modifies.

If we were talking about multiple lives, would altrui change to match the plural noun?

No, altrui is completely invariable. Whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural (for example, le vite altrui), altrui stays exactly the same.

Could I say nella vita degli altri instead of nella vita altrui?

Yes, absolutely. Degli altri means exactly the same thing and is actually more common in everyday spoken Italian. Altrui is slightly more elegant and formal, though it is frequently used in general statements and set phrases like this one.

I learned that brutto means ugly. Why does it mean bad here?

In Italian, brutto is widely used to describe things that are morally unpleasant, inappropriate, or bad behavior, not just physical ugliness. For example, a bad habit is un brutto vizio.

Why does curiosare use the preposition in (combined into )?