confonderlo

Confonderlo is the infinitive form of the Italian verb confondere with the direct object pronoun lo attached, meaning to confuse him or it. The combination is not a separate verb, but a standard construction in Italian where a clitic pronoun is attached to the end of the infinitive to indicate the object of the action. The pronoun lo refers to a masculine singular noun or to a masculine singular object previously mentioned in the discourse.

Etymology and meaning: confondere comes from Latin confundere, meaning to mix together or to perplex. In Italian, confondere retains senses related to mixing up, confusing in a mental sense, or misleading, depending on context. When combined with lo, the meaning is specifically “to confuse him/it.”

Grammar and usage: Confonderlo is used after verbs of intention or modality (voglio confonderlo, devo confonderlo), after wish or negation (non voglio confonderlo), and before finite forms in clauses (Lo confonderò = I will confuse him/it). The form can also appear in non-finite constructions, for example the present participle: confondendolo = while confusing him/it. In compound tenses, the pronoun typically precedes the auxiliary verb (Lo ho confuso = I have confused him/it).

Examples:

- Voglio confonderlo con un altro prodotto. (I want to confuse him/it with another product.)

- Non confonderlo con me. (Do not confuse him with me.)

- Lo confonderò. (I will confuse him/it.)

Notes: lo is masculine singular; different pronouns would occur for different genders or numbers (la for feminine singular, li/le for plural). The basic sense remains “to confuse” or “to mix up,” with nuance depending on context.