Avevamo chiesto all’ingegnere un suggerimento sul progetto.

We had asked the engineer for a suggestion about the project.

Breakdown of Avevamo chiesto all’ingegnere un suggerimento sul progetto.

• noi: we
• il progetto: the project
• chiedere: to ask
• su: about

Questions & Answers about Avevamo chiesto all’ingegnere un suggerimento sul progetto.

What is the tense of avevamo chiesto and how is it formed?

Avevamo chiesto is the trapassato prossimo (past perfect). You form it with the imperfect of the auxiliary verb avere (avevamo) plus the past participle of chiedere (chiesto). It translates as we had asked, indicating an action completed before another past reference.

When should I use the trapassato prossimo instead of the passato prossimo?

Use the trapassato prossimo to describe an event that happened before another past event or context. The passato prossimo (e.g. abbiamo chiesto) simply states that an action occurred in the past, without anchoring it relative to another past moment.

Why is it all’ingegnere and not just l’ingegnere?

The verb chiedere requires an indirect object introduced by a: chiedere qualcosa a qualcuno. Here a + l’ (the) contracts to all’, so all’ingegnere means “to the engineer.”

What does sul mean in suggerimento sul progetto?

Sul is the contraction of su + il, literally “on the.” In this context, it means about the project or on the project—you asked for advice regarding that project.