Breakdown of Il cavo del cambio dura più di quanto speravo.
sperare
to hope
più
more
durare
to last
di quanto
than
Questions & Answers about Il cavo del cambio dura più di quanto speravo.
Why is it il cavo and not just cavo?
Italian often uses the definite article where English might not, especially when referring to a specific thing already understood from the context.
So il cavo means the cable. In this sentence, it sounds like a particular cable is being discussed, not just cables in general.
- il cavo = the cable
- un cavo = a cable
If you said Un cavo del cambio dura più di quanto speravo, it would sound more like A gear cable lasts longer than I hoped, which is possible, but less likely if you mean a specific one.
What does del cambio mean grammatically?
Del is a contraction of di + il.
- di = of
- il = the
- del = of the
So:
- il cavo del cambio = the cable of the gear system / gear cable
Here del cambio tells you what kind of cable it is. In natural English, we usually say gear cable rather than cable of the gear shift, but Italian often uses this noun + di + noun structure.
What does cambio mean here? Does it mean change?