Breakdown of Ho lavorato tanto, perciò i miei occhi sono così stanchi da non restare aperti.
essere
to be
non
not
aperto
open
stanco
tired
tanto
so much, a lot / as (in comparisons)
mio
my
lavorare
to work
così
so, like this
restare
to stay, to remain
perciò
therefore / for this reason
l'occhio
the eye (m)
da
so ... that (with così/talmente + infinitive)
Questions & Answers about Ho lavorato tanto, perciò i miei occhi sono così stanchi da non restare aperti.
Why use the infinitive da non restare instead of just saying che non restano?
This is the core of the implicit consecutive clause. When the subject of the consequence is the same as the subject of the main action (here, i miei occhi are both tired and not staying open), Italian prefers using da + infinitive. You would use che + conjugated verb if the subjects were different, like: I am so tired that my eyes don't stay open (Sono così stanco che i miei occhi non restano aperti).
Could I use talmente instead of così in this sentence?
Why is aperti plural when it comes right after the infinitive verb restare?
Even though it follows an infinitive, aperti still acts as an adjective describing the main subject of that clause, i miei occhi. Since occhi is masculine plural, the adjective must agree with it.
What is the exact role of perciò here, and can I use quindi instead?
perciò means 'therefore' or 'for this reason'. It links the cause (ho lavorato tanto) to the effect. You can absolutely swap it with quindi or dunque, which are completely interchangeable coordinating conjunctions in this context.
Learn Ho lavorato tanto, perciò i miei occhi sono così stanchi da non restare aperti and more in Italian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free