Breakdown of Agitare bene prima di aprire la bottiglia.
bene
well
aprire
to open
la bottiglia
the bottle
la
her/it (direct object)
Questions & Answers about Agitare bene prima di aprire la bottiglia.
Why is agitare in the infinitive here instead of an imperative command like agita or agiti?
This is the jussive infinitive. Italian uses the infinitive for general, impersonal instructions, like those found on product labels, recipes, or public signs. It tells anyone reading it what to do, rather than speaking to a specific person.
Could the label have used the formal imperative agiti instead?
It could, but that would change the tone. Agiti is a direct, formal command (like a pharmacist telling you personally how to take a medicine). Agitare keeps it entirely impersonal, which is standard for printed packaging.
Why do we use the infinitive aprire after prima di instead of a conjugated verb?
When the implied subject of the main action (shaking) and the secondary action (opening) is the same, Italian uses prima di + [infinitive]. If the subjects were different (e.g., "Shake it before he opens it"), you would need to use prima che followed by the subjunctive (prima che lui la apra).
Does agitare only mean "to shake" physically, or can it mean "to agitate" like in English?