Breakdown of Piantala con queste sciocchezze!
queste
these (feminine)
con
with
piantarla
to knock it off
la sciocchezza
the nonsense
Questions & Answers about Piantala con queste sciocchezze!
Wait, why is the verb piantala? What is the infinitive?
The infinitive is piantarla. It is a pronominal verb formed from piantare (to plant) plus the pronoun la (it). Idiomatically, it means "to stop it" or "to knock it off." Because this is an imperative command directed at "tu" (you, informal), the pronoun la attaches directly to the end of the conjugated verb pianta, giving us piantala.
How does piantarla differ from the similar verbs smetterla and finirla?
All three verbs mean "to stop it" or "to quit it," but they differ slightly in tone. Smetterla is the most standard and versatile. Finirla can sound a bit more exasperated, like demanding someone "put an end to it." Piantarla is highly colloquial and punchy, capturing the exact feeling of the English phrases "knock it off!" or "cut it out!"
Why do we use the preposition con here? Wouldn't we use di to say "stop doing something"?
It depends on what follows. When you tell someone to stop an action, you use di plus an infinitive verb (for example, Piantala di parlare! means "Stop talking!"). However, when you demand that they stop with a noun like sciocchezze, you must use con. It works just like English: "Knock it off with this nonsense."
Why is sciocchezze plural when the English translation says "this nonsense" in the singular?