Breakdown of Se sparli del tuo coinquilino nel confessionale, rischi il televoto.
tuo
your
se
if
nel
in the (in + il) / while / upon (doing something)
del
of the; than the (di + il)
Questions & Answers about Se sparli del tuo coinquilino nel confessionale, rischi il televoto.
Could I use basta che instead of se in this sentence?
You could, but it changes the grammar and the tone. Se means "if" and takes the indicative mood here (sparli). Basta che means "as long as" and triggers the subjunctive: Basta che tu sparli... However, basta che usually introduces a condition for a desired outcome. Since facing a public vote is a negative consequence, se is the natural choice.
Why is it del tuo coinquilino instead of just il tuo coinquilino?
The verb sparlare (to badmouth or gossip about) is always followed by the preposition di. When you combine di with the definite article il (which is required before tuo coinquilino), they merge into the articulated preposition del.
Does confessionale always mean "diary room"?
Not normally. A confessionale is originally a confessional booth in a church. However, the Italian version of the reality show Big Brother (Grande Fratello) famously uses this exact word for the "diary room." The presence of the word televoto (viewer voting) in this sentence is the clue that we are in reality TV territory.
Why are both verbs (sparli and rischi) in the present tense instead of the future tense?