Italian verbs governing ＜a＞ and ＜di＞ - 2 (reflexive verbs)

What are reflexive verbs?

Please see and read the following article to get a basic idea.


https://grammar.collinsdictionary.com/italian-easy-learning/reflexive-verbs

Reflexive verbs - Easy Learning Grammar Italian What is a reflexive verb?

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To get an idea is not so difficult but get used to them is another thing and it takes time. As a practice we will check

reflexive verbs with no pronoun + ＜a＞ or ＜di＞+ infinitive

Taking out those from the list in the previous post " Italian verbs governing ＜a＞ and ＜di＞ - 1 (with no pronoun).
From my drill book

accontentarsi di
meraviliarsi di

From Collins Dictionary Grammar Section
accorgersi di + infin
affettarsi a + infin
aspettarsi di + infin
divertirsi a + infin
farcela a + infin
impegnarsi a + inf
mettersi a + infin
offrirsi di + infin
pentirsi di + (pref.) infin
prepararsi a + infin
rammaricarsi di + (pref.) infin
ricordarsi di + (pref.) infin
rifiutarsi di + infin
scordarsi di + infin
scusarsi di + (pref.) infin
sforzarsi di + infin
spicciarsi a + infin


A reflexive verb usually has a function to change a Transitive verb to an Intransitive verb by adding <self> or <reflexive> <si> equivalent pronoun.

From <Reflexive verbs - Easy Learning Grammar Italian What is a reflexive verb?>
accomodarsi to sit down; to take a seat
addormentarsi to go to sleep
alzarsi to get up
annoiarsi to get bored; to be bored
arrabbiarsi to get angry
chiamarsi to be called
chiedersi to wonder
divertirsi to enjoy oneself; to have fun
farsi male to hurt oneself
fermarsi to stop
lavarsi to wash; to get washed
perdersi to get lost
pettinarsi to comb one’s hair
preoccuparsi to worry
prepararsi to get ready
ricordarsi to remember
sbrigarsi to hurry
svegliarsi to wake up
vestirsi to dress; to get dressed

The meanings of the phrases in English translation are

1) Intransitive verb equivalents

2) Passive voice equivalents including ＜to get xxxxed＞.

3) to get adjective

while the original Italian phrases, if leave the ＜self＞or <reflexive> pronoun out, the verbs are generally transitive verbs. But some of these Transitive verbs are seldom used as a Transitive verb independently and dedicated to Reflexive verb use.

accomodarsi －＞ accomodare
addormentarsi －＞ addormentare
alzarsi －＞ alzare
annoiarsi －＞ annoiare
arrabbiarsi －＞ arrabbiare
chiamarsi －＞ chiamare
chiedersi －＞ chiedere
divertirsi －＞ divertire
farsi male －＞ fare male
fermarsi －＞ fermare
lavarsi －＞ lavare
perdersi －＞ perdere
pettinarsi －＞ pettinare
preoccuparsi －＞ preoccupare
prepararsi －＞ preparare
ricordarsi －＞ ricordare
sbrigarsi －＞ sbrigare
svegliarsi －＞ svegliare
vestirsi －＞ vestire

I want to take ＜preparare, prepararsi＞here as I have found ＜to prepare oneself for sth, to do＞in my English dictionary.

From Reverso Dictionary
 

to prepare

1 vt preparare
teachers have to prepare lessons in the evening la sera gli insegnanti devono preparare le lezioni
prepare yourself for a shock preparati a uno shock
to prepare the way for sth preparare il terreno per qc
to prepare to do sth prepararsi a fare qc

2 vi
to prepare for (journey, party, sb's arrival) fare dei preparativi per, (exam, future) prepararsi per
we're preparing for our skiing holiday stiamo facendo i preparativi per le vacanze in montagna
to prepare for war prepararsi alla guerra

I am not sure whether ＜to prepare＞of ＜to prepare to do sth＞is a Transitive verb or Intransitive verb but sure ＜to prepare＞of ＜to prepare for ＞is an Intransitive verb.

In Italian

＜preparare＞ of ＜prepararsi＞ is a Transitive verb and ＜prepararsi＞ is regarded as an Intransitive verb and takes ＜a + infin＞.

prepare yourself for a shock    preparati a uno shock

have the same grammatical structure and the meaning. But in English you can use the reduced version

to prepare for a shock

and ＜to prepare＞is an Intransitive verb while ＜to prepare＞of ＜to prepare yourself＞is regarded as a Transitive verb and yourself is a direct object.

This <transformation from Transitive aspect to Intransitive aspect＞ can apply to the Italian Reflexive verb expression.

Now consider

to get ready for something

As you are getting (yourself) familiar with the Italian Reflexive verb form you may feel something is missing, yes <oneself> is missing.

to be ready - this is OK (even Italian <essere pronto per> is commonly used)

to become ready - this is not so often used as <to get ready> but <to become ready> is also OK and does not require <oneself>.

<to get ready for something> should be <to get oneself ready for something>, which is slightly different from <to make oneself ready for something>.

<to get oneself ready for something> is somewhere between <to be ready>, <to become ready> and <to make oneself ready>.

to get annoyed
to get bored
to get dressed
get depressed
get enjoyed - <to enjoy oneself> or <Enjoy yourself ! > is commonly used
get frustrated
to get married
to get sick - this is purely <to get + adjective> like <to get ready>.
to get used to something

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This post belongs to the series of " Italian verbs governing ＜a＞ and ＜di＞" so we must check the difference between < Reflexive verb + a + infin＞ and ＜ Reflexive verb + di + infin＞

Group A

affettarsi a + infin
divertirsi a + infin
farcela a + infin
impegnarsi a + inf
mettersi a + infin
prepararsi a + infin
spicciarsi a + infin

What are common in Group A ?

Very generally speaking <infinitive> portion is <a new thing which will going to happen>.

Group B

accontentarsi di
accorgersi di + infin
aspettarsi di + infin
meraviliarsi di
offrirsi di + infin
pentirsi di + (pref.) infin
rammaricarsi di + (pref.) infin
ricordarsi di + (pref.) infin
rifiutarsi di + infin
scordarsi di + infin
scusarsi di + (pref.) infin
sforzarsi di + infinWhat are common in Group B ?

Again very generally speaking <infinitive> portion is <a certain thing which is going on, will go on, >.



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