Breakdown of Vorrei che tu mostrassi il tuo talento senza timidezza.
io
I
tu
you
volere
to want
tuo
your
che
that
senza
without
mostrare
to show
il talento
the talent
la timidezza
the shyness
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Questions & Answers about Vorrei che tu mostrassi il tuo talento senza timidezza.
Why is the verb mostrassi in the subjunctive mood, not the indicative?
In Italian, when expressing a desire or wish about someone else, you must use the subjunctive after verbs like volere (to want). Here vorrei (I would like) triggers the subjunctive in the subordinate clause. Using the indicative (e.g. mostri) would be grammatically incorrect after vorrei che.
Why is the subjunctive in the imperfect tense (mostrassi) rather than the present subjunctive (mostri)?
Italian follows a sequence-of-tenses rule. Vorrei is present conditional, so the subordinate clause takes the imperfect subjunctive (mostrassi). If you used a present-tense main verb like desidero, then you would pair it with the present subjunctive (desidero che tu mostri).
Why is there a che between vorrei and tu mostrassi?
Che is the conjunction that introduces subordinate clauses after expressions of wanting, hoping, fearing, etc. It links the main clause (vorrei) to the clause describing what you want someone to do (tu mostrassi il tuo talento).
Can we omit the subject pronoun tu in che tu mostrassi?
Yes. Italian is a pro-drop language: the verb ending ‐assi already indicates the second person singular. Vorrei che mostrassi il tuo talento… is perfectly correct. Including tu adds emphasis or clarity.
Why do we say il tuo talento with the definite article il?
In Italian, when talking about personal qualities or abstract concepts in a general sense, you normally use the definite article. Hence il tuo talento instead of simply tuo talento.
What does senza timidezza mean, and why use senza + noun?
Senza means without and is followed directly by a noun. Timidezza (shyness) is a feminine noun, so senza timidezza = without shyness. You could choose other nouns (e.g. senza timore = without fear), but timidezza specifically conveys lack of shyness.
Could we rephrase the sentence more politely or formally?
Yes. A more formal version might be:
Le sarei grato se mostrasse il Suo talento senza alcuna timidezza.
Here Le sarei grato is a polite conditional, mostrasse remains the imperfect subjunctive, and Suo (capitalized) is the formal possessive.