Breakdown of A forza di premere quel tasto, lo hai rotto.
quello
that
avere
to have
lo
him/it (direct object)
premere
to press
rompere
to break
a forza di
by dint of / by constantly
il tasto
key (of a keyboard) / button
Questions & Answers about A forza di premere quel tasto, lo hai rotto.
How does a forza di work here, and could I just use per?
a forza di translates to 'by dint of' or 'from doing something repeatedly'. It is followed directly by an infinitive, in this case premere. While per plus an infinitive can also express cause, a forza di specifically emphasizes the intense repetition of the action that led to the result.
Could I use a furia di instead of a forza di in this sentence?
Yes, a furia di is perfectly interchangeable with a forza di here. Both mean 'from doing something so much' and both trigger the exact same grammatical structure using the present infinitive.
Why is the verb premere left in the infinitive here?
Because this is an implicit causal clause. When the subject of the main action (you broke it) is exactly the same as the subject of the cause (you pressed it), Italian prefers this implicit construction: a phrase like a forza di followed by the infinitive rather than a conjugated verb.
Why is the demonstrative adjective written as quel instead of quello?
The adjective quello changes its ending based on the word that follows it, following the exact same pattern as the definite article. Because tasto would take the article il, quello drops its ending and becomes quel.
Why use tasto for 'key' instead of chiave?
tasto specifically refers to a key or button you press, such as on a computer keyboard, a piano, or a machine. A chiave is a physical key you insert into a lock to open a door.
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