Learn Italian: I muri si sgretolano a causa della pioggia e non li ripara mai nessuno. - The walls crumble due to the rain and nobody ever repairs them.

Word

I muri si sgretolano a causa della pioggia e non li ripara mai nessuno.

Meaning

The walls crumble due to the rain and nobody ever repairs them.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Italian

Lesson

Multiple negatives (non... mai nessuno)

Breakdown of I muri si sgretolano a causa della pioggia e non li ripara mai nessuno.

them (masculine direct object)

Questions & Answers about I muri si sgretolano a causa della pioggia e non li ripara mai nessuno.

Why are both mai and nessuno used after non, and does the order matter?

In Italian, when the negative particle non comes before the verb, you can chain multiple negative words after it to build the meaning. Here, mai (ever/never) and nessuno (nobody) combine to mean nobody ever. The order usually puts adverbs like mai right after the verb, followed by pronouns like nessuno.

Could I say Nessuno li ripara mai without using non?

Yes! If a negative word like nessuno comes before the verb, you must drop the non. The meaning stays exactly the same. However, you still keep mai after the verb because the negative chain is already established by nessuno.

Why is the plural of wall i muri here, but sometimes I see le mura?

The word muro has two plurals depending on the context. I muri is used for the standard walls of a house or building, like in this sentence. Le mura (which becomes a feminine plural) is used specifically for the defensive, large exterior walls of a city or a fortress.

Why use the reflexive pronoun si in si sgretolano?