Learn Hardcore Italian: Ho ricevuto la conferma che la farmacia all’angolo apre anche la domenica. - I received confirmation that the corner pharmacy is also open on Sundays.

It’s the passato prossimo (present perfect) of ricevere. You form it with the auxiliary avere in the present (ho) + the past participle (ricevuto). It indicates that the action (receiving) is completed, usually in the recent past.

Why is la conferma followed by che instead of di or an infinitive?

In Italian, the noun conferma takes a subordinate clause introduced by che, not an infinitive. So you say conferma che + clause, much like English “confirmation that…”. You wouldn’t say conferma di + infinitive in this context.

Why is the verb apre in the present tense even though it refers to opening on Sunday (which hasn’t happened yet)?

Italian (as in English) uses the present indicative to talk about future events when they are scheduled or habitual (timetables, regular opening hours, etc.). It’s like saying “The store opens at 9 tomorrow.”

Shouldn’t the verb after che be in the subjunctive?

No, because the speaker expresses certainty (“Ho ricevuto la conferma”). The subjunctive in Italian is used for doubt, possibility, desire, emotion, etc. Here it’s a factual statement, so the indicative (apre) is correct.

What does all’angolo mean, and why is there an apostrophe?

It means on/at the corner. The apostrophe shows the elision of the definite article la before the vowel in angolo. Grammatically: a + l’ (elided “la”) = all’.

Why do we say la domenica and not just domenica? Could we drop the article?

When referring to habitual actions on days of the week, Italian commonly uses the definite article. la domenica means “on Sundays” in general. Informally you might hear anche domenica, but the standard form keeps la.

What role does anche play in this sentence?

anche means “also” or “too” here. It adds the idea that the pharmacy is open on Sundays in addition to the other days of the week.

Could you omit la before conferma and say Ho ricevuto conferma che…?

Yes. Ho ricevuto conferma che… is also correct and often sounds slightly more formal or concise. Both Ho ricevuto la conferma che… and Ho ricevuto conferma che… are commonly used.

Why is it la farmacia all’angolo and not la farmacia al angolo?

Because angolo starts with a vowel, the definite article la becomes l’ (elided). Combine it with a: a + l’ = all’. If the noun began with a consonant you’d say alla (e.g., alla fermata).