To describe someone going to extreme lengths to achieve a goal, use pur di ("just to," "in order to," or "at any cost").
| just to / in order to (at any cost) | pur di |
Pair pur di directly with an infinitive. This implies the subject is willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.
| They are ready for anything just to achieve fame. | Loro sono pronti a tutto pur di raggiungere la fama. |
| His ambition drives him to lie just to destroy his rival. | La sua ambizione lo spinge a mentire pur di distruggere il rivale. |
Emphasizing the Goal
A pur di clause can also sit at the beginning of a sentence, which emphasizes the extreme ambition driving the subject's actions.
| Just to bypass the rivals, that politician deceived everyone. | Pur di scavalcare i rivali, quel politico ha ingannato tutti. |
| Just to reach the apex, he wants to bypass everyone. | Pur di arrivare all'apice, vuole scavalcare tutti. |
Reflexive Verbs with "Pur di"
When the verb following pur di is reflexive, drop the final -e of the infinitive and attach the reflexive pronoun. The pronoun must match the subject of the sentence.
| Just to get rich, they went abroad without saying goodbye. | Pur di arricchirsi, sono andati all'estero senza salutare. |
| You became cruel just to get rich. | Voi siete diventati crudeli pur di arricchirvi. |
You can also link multiple infinitives after a single pur di.
| He risks everything just to reach the peak and excel. | Lui rischia tutto pur di raggiungere l'apice e primeggiare. |
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