[{"role": "user", "content": "I'm trying to learn Italian and I stumbled upon the sentence 'Tom couldn't swim.' Can you help me translate it into Italian so I can better understand how to express inability to do something in the language?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "The translation of 'Tom couldn't swim' in Italian is 'Tom non riusciva a nuotare.' This sentence is in the imperfect tense, which is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. The phrase 'non riusciva a' is used to express inability or failure to do something."}, {"role": "user", "content": "That's really helpful, thank you! So, the phrase 'non riusciva a' is used to express inability, but are there other ways to express it in Italian?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Yes, there are other ways to express inability in Italian. For example, you can use the verb 'potere' in the negative form, such as 'Tom non poteva nuotare.' However, 'non riusciva a' is a more common and idiomatic way to express inability, especially when talking about a specific situation or action in the past."}, {"role": "user", "content": "I see. So, what's the difference between 'non riusciva a' and 'non poteva'?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "While both 'non riusciva a' and 'non poteva' can be used to express inability, 'non riusciva a' tends to emphasize the effort or attempt to do something, whereas 'non poteva' is more general and emphasizes the lack of ability or power to do something. In the case of 'Tom non riusciva a nuotare,' it implies that Tom tried to swim but was unable to do so."}]