Breakdown of Ho le palpebre così pesanti da fare un pisolino alla scrivania.
un
a / an (masculine)
pesante
heavy
avere
to have
fare
to do / to make
alla
to the / at the (feminine singular)
così
so, like this
da
so ... that (with così/talmente + infinitive)
il pisolino
the nap
la palpebra
the eyelid
Questions & Answers about Ho le palpebre così pesanti da fare un pisolino alla scrivania.
Why does this sentence use da fare instead of che faccio?
This is an implicit consecutive clause. Because the subject of the main action (I have heavy eyelids) is the same as the subject of the consequence (I take a nap), Italian uses così... da + infinitive. If the subjects were different, you would use an explicit clause with così... che, for example: Ho le palpebre così pesanti che il capo mi ha mandato a casa (My eyelids are so heavy that the boss sent me home).
Why does it say le palpebre (the eyelids) instead of le mie palpebre (my eyelids)?
In Italian, when you refer to body parts or clothing and the owner is clear from the subject of the verb (here, ho tells us it is "I"), you use the definite article instead of a possessive adjective. Adding mie here would sound unnatural to a native speaker.
Is fare un pisolino the standard way to say "take a nap"?
Yes! While English uses "take," Italian uses fare (to do/make) with un pisolino (a nap). Fun fact: pisolino is a diminutive of pisolo, which is the Italian name for Sleepy, one of the Seven Dwarfs!
Why use the preposition alla in alla scrivania instead of sulla?
Alla scrivania translates to "at the desk," meaning you are sitting in front of it in a normal working position. If you used sulla scrivania (on the desk), it would mean you are literally lying on top of the furniture to take your nap.
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