Breakdown of Spero che tu spolveri anche i mobili in salotto, perché sono pieni di polvere.
io
I
tu
you
essere
to be
di
of
in
in
perché
because
che
that
sperare
to hope
pieno
full
la polvere
the dust
il salotto
the living room
spolverare
to dust
anche
too
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Questions & Answers about Spero che tu spolveri anche i mobili in salotto, perché sono pieni di polvere.
Why is the verb spolveri in the subjunctive mood rather than the indicative?
Expressions of hope like Spero che require the subjunctive in Italian. Although the present subjunctive of spolverare in the second person singular happens to have the same form as the indicative, the context makes it clear that a wish is being expressed.
Why is the conjunction che used after Spero?
In Italian, che introduces a subordinate clause after verbs expressing hope, desire, or doubt. Here, it connects Spero ("I hope") to the clause tu spolveri anche i mobili..., indicating what the speaker hopes will be done.
What does the verb spolverare mean?
Spolverare means "to dust" or "to remove dust from." In this sentence, it means cleaning the furniture by dusting the accumulated dust off it.
What is the role of anche in this sentence?
Anche means "also" or "too." It suggests that, in addition to possibly other cleaning tasks, the furniture in the living room should be dusted.
Why is mobili used in the plural form?
In Italian, mobili refers collectively to pieces of furniture. Even if referring to multiple individual items, the term is customarily used in its plural form. (The singular form, mobile, is used when referring to a single piece.)
What does the phrase in salotto indicate?
In salotto means "in the living room." It specifies the location of the furniture that needs to be dusted.
Why is there a comma before perché?
The comma is used to separate the main clause from the subordinate clause introduced by perché (meaning "because"). This format helps clarify that the latter part of the sentence explains the reason for dusting the furniture.
Since spolveri looks identical in both the present indicative and subjunctive for the second person singular, how do I know which mood is intended?
The context provides a clue. Because the sentence begins with Spero che (expressing hope), it signals that the subordinate clause should be in the subjunctive mood, even if the form of spolveri is the same as the indicative form in this case.