Breakdown of Stanno facendo un baccano snervante, devono smetterla.
un
a / an (masculine)
fare
to do / to make
stare
to stay, to feel, to be
dovere
must
smetterla
to stop it
il baccano
the racket
snervante
nerve-wracking
Questions & Answers about Stanno facendo un baccano snervante, devono smetterla.
Why is there a la attached to smettere in smetterla, and what does it refer to?
This is a lexicalized pronominal verb. The pronoun la doesn't refer to a specific feminine noun in the sentence, especially since the noise is masculine (il baccano). Instead, it acts as a fixed part of the expression. The la refers vaguely to the annoying action or situation itself, giving it the meaning of "to stop it" or "to knock it off."
Could I just say devono smettere instead of devono smetterla?
Yes, devono smettere is grammatically correct and simply means "they must stop." However, adding la makes the demand much more emphatic and colloquial. It translates closer to "they must knock it off" or "they need to cut it out." It is the most natural choice when you are actively annoyed by someone's behavior.
If I wanted to explicitly say "they must stop making a racket," how would I connect that action to smetterla?
You would use the preposition di followed by the infinitive verb. For example: Devono smetterla di fare baccano (They must stop making a racket). The grammatical structure to remember is always smetterla di + [infinitive].
What exactly is a baccano and how is it different from a rumore?
While rumore is the standard, neutral word for "noise," baccano specifically means a "racket," "din," or "uproar." It implies a loud, chaotic, and usually very annoying noise, often made by people or a commotion, which perfectly explains why the speaker wants them to smetterla.
Where does the adjective snervante come from?
Snervante means "nerve-wracking" or "exhausting." It is the present participle of the verb snervare (to unnerve or exhaust). If you look closely, you can see the root word nervo (nerve) combined with the prefix s- (which is often used to indicate removal, undoing, or moving out of). It vividly implies the noise is draining their nerves!
Learn Stanno facendo un baccano snervante, devono smetterla 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