Breakdown of Se il dolore continua, non prendere un'altra pillola.
una
a / an (feminine)
non
not
prendere
to take
se
if
altro
other, another
continuare
to continue
la pillola
the pill
il dolore
the pain
Questions & Answers about Se il dolore continua, non prendere un'altra pillola.
Why is the infinitive prendere used here instead of a conjugated command?
This sentence uses the Jussive Infinitive, which is the standard way to give general written instructions in Italian (like on a medicine leaflet or in a manual). By using the infinitive, the instruction applies to anyone reading it, rather than a specific person. Note that non prendere is also the exact form used for the negative informal tu command, so it perfectly doubles as a direct instruction to a friend!
If this is on a medicine leaflet, why not use the formal Lei command (non prenda)?
While a doctor speaking directly to a patient would use the formal imperative non prenda, impersonal written formats in Italian almost always avoid conjugating verbs. The infinitive provides a neutral, universal tone for general public warnings and instructions.
Is it grammatically correct to pair a present tense verb like continua with an infinitive instruction?
Absolutely. In a first conditional sentence (for real, likely situations), the se clause uses the present indicative. The result clause can use the future tense, a standard imperative, or—as seen in this medical warning—a jussive infinitive.
Why does un'altra have an apostrophe here?
Because altra is feminine and starts with a vowel, the feminine indefinite article una drops its final letter to become un'. This is a helpful refresher for an easily forgotten rule: the masculine version never takes an apostrophe, so you must write un altro but un'altra.
Learn Se il dolore continua, non prendere un'altra pillola 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