Learn Italian: Dobbiamo mettere fine a questo problema. - We must put an end to this problem.

Dobbiamo mettere fine a questo problema.

We must put an end to this problem.

Breakdown of Dobbiamo mettere fine a questo problema.

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Questions & Answers about Dobbiamo mettere fine a questo problema.

Since this lesson is about 'finirla' and 'smetterla', could we use one of those here instead of 'mettere fine'?

Not directly. The pronominal verbs finirla, smetterla, and piantarla mean 'to stop it' or 'to knock it off' and are used either alone or followed by di + infinitive (e.g., Dobbiamo finirla di litigare). To put an end to a noun like questo problema, the standard expression is mettere fine a or simply risolvere (to resolve).

Why is there no article before 'fine'? Why not 'mettere la fine'?

Mettere fine is a fixed idiom, similar to how we say 'to set fire to' in English instead of 'to set the fire to'. When fine is paired with mettere in this specific sense, the article is always dropped.

Is 'fine' masculine or feminine in this context?

It is feminine. In Italian, la fine means 'the end', whereas il fine means 'the goal' or 'the purpose'. Even though the article is dropped in the phrase mettere fine, it conceptually relies on the feminine meaning of the word.

Could we just say 'Dobbiamo finire questo problema'?

No, that sounds unnatural in Italian. You can finish a concrete task, a meal, or a book (finire un lavoro), but you cannot 'finish' a problem. You must either solve it (risolvere) or put an end to it (mettere fine a).