Italian Phrase
Puoi farlo riparare o fartelo sostituire.
Meaning
The sentence asks whether you can arrange for something to be repaired, or have it replaced for you. It uses the causative construction to express that the action will be performed by someone else on your behalf.
When to use
Use this phrase when discussing a broken item (e.g., a phone, appliance, or piece of equipment) and you want to offer the listener the choice between repairing it or getting a replacement.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Puoifarloriparareofartelosostituire
Puoi (potere)
Modal verb 'potere' in present tense, 2nd person singular, used to ask ability or permission.
farlo (fare + lo)
Causative construction: 'fare' + direct object pronoun 'lo' + infinitive, meaning 'to have it done'.
riparare
Infinitive meaning 'to repair'.
o
Coordinating conjunction meaning 'or'.
fartelo (far + te + lo)
Combined pronoun form of the causative: 'far' + indirect object pronoun 'ti' (te) + direct object pronoun 'lo', meaning 'to have it done for you'.
sostituire
Infinitive meaning 'to replace'.
🗨In Conversation
Il mio computer non si accende più.
My computer won't turn on anymore.
Puoi farlo riparare o fartelo sostituire.
You can have it repaired or have it replaced for you.
✕Common Mistakes
Puoi farlo riparare o farlo sostituire.
Missing the indirect object pronoun 'te' changes the meaning; 'farlo sostituire' just means 'to have it replaced', not 'for you'.
Puoi fartelo riparare o sostituire.
'Fartelo' already contains the direct object pronoun, so you cannot attach another infinitive that also expects a direct object.
↔Alternatives
Puoi farlo aggiustare o farlo sostituire.
You can have it fixed or have it replaced.
Puoi farlo riparare oppure sostituirlo.
You can have it repaired or replace it.
Puoi farlo sistemare o fartelo cambiare.
You can have it sorted out or have it changed for you.
Cultural Tip
The causative construction with 'fare' is extremely common in everyday Italian, especially when delegating a task. The contracted form 'fartelo' (far + te + lo) is informal and typical in spoken language, so it fits casual conversations but might be avoided in very formal writing.