Breakdown of A parlare con l'inquilino, si scoprono molti difetti.
molto
a lot of / much
con
with
parlare
to speak / to talk
scoprire
to discover
si
one (impersonal)
il difetto
the flaw / the defect
a
if/when one does (+ infinitive)
l'inquilino
the tenant (m)
Questions & Answers about A parlare con l'inquilino, si scoprono molti difetti.
Why does a parlare mean "if you talk" instead of "to talk"?
In Italian, the preposition a followed by an infinitive is a common way to form an implicit conditional clause. It acts exactly like an "if" clause. Here, it is a shorter, more elegant alternative to saying se si parla (if one talks).
Why is the plural verb scoprono used when the English translation says "you discover"?
How do we know who is supposed to be talking in the a parlare clause?
Implicit clauses (like a + infinitive) borrow their subject from the main clause. Since the main clause uses the impersonal si (meaning "one" or a general "you"), the talking is also done by that general "you". If the sentence ended with scopro molti difetti (I discover many flaws), then a parlare would mean "if I talk".
Does difetti refer to the tenant's personality or to the apartment itself?
It could be either! The word difetto translates to "flaw" or "defect." Depending on the broader context, this could mean you discover the tenant has a bad personality, or you learn from them that the building has many physical problems.
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