Breakdown of Spero che voi riusciatE a mantenere la calma durante il volo.
io
I
la calma
the calm
durante
during
che
that
sperare
to hope
mantenere
to keep
il volo
the flight
voi
you
riuscire a
to manage to
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Questions & Answers about Spero che voi riusciatE a mantenere la calma durante il volo.
Why is the subjunctive mood used after Spero che?
In Italian, verbs expressing hope, desire, doubt or fear—like sperare—require the subjunctive in their subordinate clause. So after Spero che you must use riusciate (present subjunctive of riuscire) rather than the indicative.
How do you form the present subjunctive of riuscire for voi?
Riuscire belongs to the –ire group. The present subjunctive endings for voi are -iate. You take the stem riusc- and add -iate, giving riusciate. The indicative would be riuscite, but that isn’t correct here because of the subjunctive trigger.
Could I say Spero di riuscire a mantenere la calma durante il volo instead?
Yes, but that changes the meaning. Spero di riuscire uses di + infinitive when the subject of both verbs is the same (I hope I succeed). Spero che voi riusciate expresses a hope directed at you (plural), so you need che + subjunctive.
Why is there an a before mantenere?
Some Italian verbs require a preposition before a following infinitive. Riuscire always takes a:
“riuscire a fare qualcosa” = “to succeed in doing something.”
Is it necessary to include voi in che voi riusciate?
No—Italian often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already indicates the person. You can simply say Spero che riusciate a mantenere la calma. Including voi adds emphasis or clarity in spoken language.
Why durante il volo and not durante volo?
In Italian you generally need the definite article before nouns with durante:
durante + il + volo = “during the flight.”
Without il, it sounds ungrammatical.
Can I use the reflexive form mantenervi calmi instead of mantenere la calma?
Absolutely. Mantenervi calmi means “keep yourselves calm” (reflexive pronoun vi). Mantenere la calma literally “maintain the calm.” Both convey the same idea; one is more reflexive, the other more abstract.
Could I replace durante with mentre here?
Not directly with quando + noun. Mentre is a conjunction that introduces a clause:
“mentre siete in volo” = “while you are in flight.”
You can’t say mentre il volo—for a noun you need durante.