Breakdown of Perché ti impicci sempre dei problemi altrui?
il problema
the problem
sempre
always
perché
because, why
del
of the; than the (di + il)
altrui
of others / other people's
impicciarsi
to meddle (to be nosy)
Questions & Answers about Perché ti impicci sempre dei problemi altrui?
Why does altrui come after the noun, and would it change if the noun was singular?
Altrui is an invariable possessive adjective meaning 'other people's' or 'belonging to others'. Because it is invariable, it never changes its ending, so it would still be altrui even with a singular or feminine noun. Unlike most possessives, it is a strict rule that altrui must always be placed immediately after the noun it modifies.
Why does the sentence use dei problemi instead of nei problemi (in the problems)?
The verb impicciarsi (to meddle or to snoop) specifically requires the preposition di to introduce the thing being meddled in. When di combines with the definite article i for the masculine plural problemi, it forms the articulated preposition dei.
Could I say i problemi degli altri instead of i problemi altrui?
Yes, i problemi degli altri (the problems of the others) is functionally identical and very common in everyday spoken Italian. Using altrui is slightly more elegant and concise, but at this level, you should be comfortable understanding and using both options interchangeably.
What is the exact infinitive of the verb used here?
The infinitive is the pronominal verb impicciarsi. It is a very common, slightly informal verb for sticking your nose where it does not belong. A related word you might hear is impiccione, which means a busybody or meddler.
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