Breakdown of A proposito, dobbiamo ricontrollare i faldoni prima della riunione.
la riunione
the meeting
dovere
must
prima di
before (doing something) / before (a noun / point in time)
a proposito
by the way
il faldone
the binder
ricontrollare
to double-check
Questions & Answers about A proposito, dobbiamo ricontrollare i faldoni prima della riunione.
How does the prefix ri- change the meaning of controllare here, and why is it translated as "double-check"?
The word riunione also starts with ri-. Is it using the same iterative prefix as ricontrollare?
Historically, yes, it comes from the idea of uniting again. However, in modern Italian, riunione is simply the standard noun for "meeting." Unlike ricontrollare, which is actively created by attaching ri- to the base verb controllare, a learner shouldn't treat riunione as a derived word whose parts need decoding.
I learned the word cartella for folder. What is the difference between a cartella and a faldone?
A cartella is a standard, relatively thin folder, and it is also the word used for folders on a computer. A faldone, on the other hand, is a large, thick physical binder or expanding file, typically used in offices or archives to hold bulky paperwork.
Could I just say prima la riunione instead of prima della riunione?
No, because when prima is used to mean "before" a noun, it must be followed by the preposition di. Since you are talking about a specific meeting, you need the definite article la. The preposition di naturally combines with la to form della.
Is a proposito a set phrase, or can it be used in other ways?
A proposito is a fixed phrase meaning "by the way" or "speaking of which." It is an excellent chunk of vocabulary for conversational flow. You will also see it with the preposition di as a proposito di... to mean "regarding" or "on the subject of" a specific topic.
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