Breakdown of Inoltre, dobbiamo avvolgere gli scatoloni e sigillarli bene.
e
and
bene
well
dovere
must
li
them (masculine direct object)
lo scatolone
the large box
inoltre
moreover, in addition
avvolgere
to wrap
sigillare
to seal
Questions & Answers about Inoltre, dobbiamo avvolgere gli scatoloni e sigillarli bene.
Could we move the pronoun li to the start and say li dobbiamo avvolgere e sigillare?
It would not work well here. While pronouns can normally move before a modal verb like dobbiamo, doing so would apply li to the first action (avvolgere). Because the first action already has an explicit direct object (gli scatoloni), we only need the pronoun for the second action to avoid repeating the noun. Therefore, li must attach directly to the second infinitive as sigillarli.
How exactly is the word sigillarli formed?
English uses phrasal verbs like wrap UP or seal UP for completion. Can we add a locative adverb like su to these Italian verbs to match?
No, and this is a common trap for English speakers. While Italian has phrasal verbs with su or giù, they mostly indicate literal physical direction (like tirar su for pulling something upward). To express that an action is done thoroughly or completely, Italian typically uses adverbs of manner like bene or completamente, just as we see with sigillarli bene here.
Why use scatoloni instead of scatole for the moving boxes?
Scatoloni uses the augmentative suffix -oni, indicating a large size. While una scatola is a standard box, uno scatolone is a large, sturdy box specifically like those used for moving. Notice that adding this suffix changes the noun's gender from feminine to masculine.
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