Breakdown of Voglio sbarazzarmi di questo mucchio di cianfrusaglie.
questo
this (masculine)
di
of, from
volere
to want
la cianfrusaglia
knick-knack
Questions & Answers about Voglio sbarazzarmi di questo mucchio di cianfrusaglie.
Why is there a di after sbarazzarmi?
The reflexive verb sbarazzarsi (to get rid of / to clear away) always requires the preposition di to introduce the thing you are getting rid of. Just like "to get rid of" in English, the preposition is built right into how the verb is used.
Could I put the mi pronoun somewhere else in the sentence?
Yes! Because volere is a modal verb (a helper verb like "want", "can", or "must"), you have two choices for pronoun placement. You can drop the final "-e" of the infinitive and attach it to the end (Voglio sbarazzarmi) or put it right before the conjugated modal verb (Mi voglio sbarazzare). Both are perfectly correct and very common.
Does mucchio literally mean a physical pile here?
It can, but it doesn't have to. While un mucchio literally translates to "a pile" or "a heap," Italians frequently use un mucchio di... as a colloquial expression meaning "a lot of" or "a bunch of" (very similar to un sacco di). In this sentence, it could refer to a literal pile of junk in the corner, or simply "a whole lot of" junk.
Is cianfrusaglie always plural?