Breakdown of Ho controllato il mio passaporto e ho visto che sta per scadere fra tre mesi.
io
I
vedere
to see
e
and
il mio
my
controllare
to check
che
that
il mese
the month
il passaporto
the passport
scadere
to expire
fra
in
tre
three
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Italian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Ho controllato il mio passaporto e ho visto che sta per scadere fra tre mesi.
What does “Ho controllato” mean, and why is the auxiliary verb “avere” used in this sentence?
“Ho controllato” translates to “I checked.” It is in the passato prossimo, a compound past tense in Italian that uses the auxiliary verb (avere) together with the past participle (controllato) to describe a completed action.
Why is “ho visto” used instead of the simple present tense “vedo,” and what does it imply about the sequence of actions?
“Ho visto” means “I saw” and is also in the passato prossimo. Its use, instead of the present tense “vedo” (“I see”), suggests that the speaker first checked the passport and then noticed something—that is, the action of seeing that the passport is about to expire happened as a completed event in the past.
What does the phrase “sta per scadere” mean, and how is it grammatically constructed?
“Sta per scadere” means “is about to expire.” It is formed by using the present tense of the verb stare (“sta”) plus the preposition per and an infinitive (scadere). This construction is used to indicate an imminent action or that something is on the verge of happening.
What is the function of the time expression “fra tre mesi” in this sentence, and are there any alternatives?
“Fra tre mesi” specifies the time frame, translating to “in three months.” It tells us when the expiration is expected to occur. In Italian, you could also say “tra tre mesi” since fra and tra are interchangeable when indicating time.
Why isn’t the subject repeated in the clause “sta per scadere”?
The subject for “sta per scadere” is implicitly understood from the earlier mention of “il mio passaporto”. Italian frequently omits the repeated mention of a subject when it is clear from the context, making the sentence more concise.
How can mastering structures like “stare per” be useful in everyday Italian conversation?
Understanding and using the “stare per” structure enables you to express that something is about to happen. This is very practical in daily conversation; for example, you might say, “La riunione sta per cominciare” (The meeting is about to begin) to indicate that an event is imminent.