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Chiudo la porta affinché il gatto non entri in casa.

Chiudo la porta affinché il gatto non entri in casa.
I close the door so that the cat does not enter the house.
FromLesson 46inHardcore Italian

Questions & Answers about Chiudo la porta affinché il gatto non entri in casa.

What does affinché mean in this sentence?
Affinché is a conjunction meaning “so that” or “in order that.” It introduces the purpose of the main action. Here, “Chiudo la porta affinché il gatto non entri in casa” translates roughly as “I close the door so that the cat does not enter the house.”
Why is entri in the subjunctive mood rather than the indicative?
After conjunctions of purpose like affinché, Italian requires the subjunctive. The subjunctive (entri) expresses an action that is not certain—it’s the desired or feared result of closing the door. If you used the indicative (entra), it would sound ungrammatical after affinché.
Could I use perché instead of affinché to mean “so that”?

Perché often means “because,” but it can also mean “so that” in spoken Italian. However, when perché means “so that,” it also takes the subjunctive:

  • Standard: Chiudo la porta affinché il gatto non entri.
  • Informal: Chiudo la porta perché il gatto non entri.
    Be aware that using perché for purpose is more colloquial; affinché is more formal or written.
Is there another way to express the same idea without using affinché?

Yes. You can use other purpose clauses that also take the subjunctive:

  • in modo che: Chiudo la porta in modo che il gatto non entri in casa.
  • così che: Chiudo la porta così che il gatto non entri in casa.
    They all require entri in the subjunctive because they express purpose.
Why is it non entri and not non entri in or non entri dentro?
The negation non goes directly before the verb (entri). To indicate location you can say either in casa (literally “into the house”) or dentro casa (“inside the house”), but you do not insert an extra preposition between the negation and the verb. So the structure is always non + verb + location.
Why do we say in casa here instead of a casa?
  • In casa means “inside the house.”
  • A casa means “at home” or “to the house.”
    Since the sentence describes preventing the cat from entering the interior, in casa is the correct choice: you’re blocking its entry into the inside of the home.
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