……
Breakdown of Ho ricevuto la conferma che la farmacia all’angolo apre anche la domenica.
io
I
aprire
to open
ricevere
to receive
anche
also
a
at
che
that
l'angolo
the corner
la domenica
the Sunday
la farmacia
the pharmacy
la conferma
the confirmation
Questions & Answers about Ho ricevuto la conferma che la farmacia all’angolo apre anche la domenica.
What tense is ho ricevuto and how is it formed?
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).
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Italian grammar?”
Italian grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning ItalianMaster Italian — from Ho ricevuto la conferma che la farmacia all’angolo apre anche la domenica to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions