Log inSign up

Il capo deve assegnare un nuovo compito a Marco.

Il capo deve assegnare un nuovo compito a Marco.
The boss must assign a new task to Marco.
From Lesson 403:The prefix ri- (rifare, rileggere)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Il capo deve assegnare un nuovo compito a Marco.

How would this sentence change if the boss needed to reassign the task to Marco?
You would add the iterative prefix ri- to the verb assegnare, making it riassegnare. The sentence would become Il capo deve riassegnare un nuovo compito a Marco. The prefix ri- is widely used in Italian to indicate doing an action again, just like 're-' in English.
Why is nuovo placed before compito here instead of after it?
Placing nuovo before the noun means 'new' in the sense of 'another' or 'an additional' task. If it were placed after the noun (un compito nuovo), it would emphasize that the task itself is completely original or brand new in its characteristics.
Could I use lavoro instead of compito for 'task'?
You can, but compito is much more specific to a 'task', 'assignment', or 'duty' given to someone (it is also the word for school 'homework'). Lavoro is broader and usually translates simply to 'work' or 'job'.
If we replaced a Marco with a pronoun to say 'assign him', where would it go?
Because this sentence uses a modal verb (deve) followed by an infinitive (assegnare), the indirect object pronoun gli (to him) can go in two places. It can attach to the end of the infinitive by dropping the final 'e', making it Il capo deve assegnargli un nuovo compito, or it can go before the conjugated verb: Il capo gli deve assegnare un nuovo compito.

Learn Il capo deve assegnare un nuovo compito a Marco 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
Start learning Italian →