Voglio indovinare la risposta prima che tu la dica.

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Breakdown of Voglio indovinare la risposta prima che tu la dica.

• tu: you
• volere: to want
• la risposta: the answer

Questions & Answers about Voglio indovinare la risposta prima che tu la dica.

Why is dica in the subjunctive rather than the indicative?

Because the conjunction prima che always requires the subjunctive when you talk about an action that has not yet happened. Here the action “you say it” is still in the future or hypothetical, so we use the present subjunctive third-person singular (dica) instead of the indicative (dici).

What’s the difference between using prima che + subjunctive and prima di + infinitive?

Use prima di + infinitive when the subject of both verbs is the same:
• Prima di mangiare, mi lavo le mani.
Use prima che + subjunctive when the subjects are different or the action is hypothetical/unrealized:
• Voglio indovinare la risposta prima che tu la dica.

Why is the direct object pronoun la used here, and not lo?

Because risposta is a feminine singular noun. In Italian the direct-object pronoun must match the gender and number of the noun it replaces: feminine singular → la (masculine singular would be lo).

Where do we place the pronoun la in relation to dica? Are there other placement options?

With a finite verb (indicative, subjunctive, etc.), the pronoun goes immediately before the verb: tu la dica. You cannot attach it to a finite form. However, with an infinitive you can attach it at the end, e.g. indovinarla instead of indovinare la.