Affonda

Affonda is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Italian verb affondare, meaning to sink, submerge, or to cause to sink. It can describe literal sinking—such as a ship or a boat going underwater—as well as figurative sinking into difficulties or problems. It is used with various subjects, for example “La nave affonda” or “Il progetto affonda per mancanza di fondi.”

In the present tense, the full conjugation of affondare is: io affondo, tu affondi, lui/lei affonda, noi affondiamo, voi affondate, loro affondano. The form affonda corresponds to the third-person singular.

The verb is frequently used with objects or prepositional phrases to express descent or immersion, including idiomatic expressions like affondare nel debito or affondare nei problemi, where the action is metaphorical rather than physical.

Etymology and related forms: affonda derives from affondare, which is linked to the root fond- found in words such as fondo and fondare. The prefix af- (a- before f) is a variant of ad- in Italian, often used to convey downward movement or emphasis, contributing to the sense of sinking in this verb.

See also: affondare, sprofondare, fondo.