Breakdown of Quando hai sistemato i vestiti, devi metterli via.
il vestito
the dress / the clothes
avere
to have
quando
when
mettere
to put / to put on / play (music)
Questions & Answers about Quando hai sistemato i vestiti, devi metterli via.
Why does the pronoun li go between the verb and the adverb in metterli via?
With Italian phrasal verbs (a verb plus a short adverb like via, su, or fuori), object pronouns must attach directly to the verb itself, never to the adverb. Because mettere is in the infinitive here, we drop the final -e and attach li to make metterli, leaving via at the very end. It is grammatically incorrect to say mettere via li.
Since there is a modal verb (devi), could I put the pronoun li before it instead?
Yes! Just like with normal verbs, when a modal verb like dovere is followed by an infinitive, you have two choices for the pronoun. You can attach it to the infinitive (devi metterli via), or you can place it before the conjugated modal: li devi mettere via. Both are completely natural, but notice that the adverb via always stays at the end of the phrase.
The English translation says "organized", so why use sistemato instead of organizzato?
While organizzare translates directly to "organize", Italians primarily use it for planning events, schedules, or complex abstract systems (like a trip or a business). For arranging physical objects—like tidying a room, sorting clothes, or fixing a mess—the natural, everyday verb is sistemare.
Why use the present perfect () after ? Shouldn't it be the future perfect?