Log inSign up

Oltretutto, bisogna sigillare bene lo scatolone con lo scotch.

Oltretutto, bisogna sigillare bene lo scatolone con lo scotch.
Moreover, you must seal the moving box well with tape.
From Lesson 426:Phrasal verbs with pronouns (buttarlo via)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Oltretutto, bisogna sigillare bene lo scatolone con lo scotch.

If we replace lo scatolone with the pronoun lo, where does it go according to the strict pronoun placement rules?
With impersonal verbs like bisogna, an object pronoun must attach to the end of the dependent infinitive, forming bisogna sigillarlo bene. Unlike with standard modal verbs (like dovere), you cannot place the pronoun before the conjugated verb (e.g., lo bisogna sigillare is incorrect).
If we wanted to say "you must put it away" using the phrasal verb mettere via, where exactly does the pronoun lo go in this structure?
The pronoun attaches directly to the dropped final "e" of the infinitive, slipping between the verb and the locative adverb. You would say bisogna metterlo via. The pronoun never attaches to the adverb (via), and because of bisogna, it cannot go at the front of the sentence.
Why is the word for the box masculine (lo scatolone) when the standard word for box is feminine (la scatola)?
Scatolone is an augmentative form meaning "large box" or "moving box." When a feminine noun takes the -one suffix to indicate a large size, it almost always changes to masculine. It takes the article lo here because it begins with an "s" followed by a consonant.
Is there a difference between oltretutto and inoltre in this context?
They are very similar and both mean "moreover" or "furthermore." However, oltretutto carries a slightly stronger, more emphatic tone, similar to saying "on top of everything else" or "besides all that," which fits well when stressing an extra chore.
Why does the English loanword "scotch" take the article lo?
Foreign words adopted into Italian still follow Italian article rules based on their starting sounds. Because scotch starts with an "impure s" (an "s" followed by another consonant), it requires the article lo.

Learn Oltretutto, bisogna sigillare bene lo scatolone con lo scotch 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 →