Breakdown of Lui ha aspettato la pensione per dieci anni.
lui
he
l'anno
the year (m)
dieci
ten
aspettare
to wait / to wait for
per
for / in order to / because of
la pensione
the retirement
Questions & Answers about Lui ha aspettato la pensione per dieci anni.
Why do we use per here instead of da?
Why isn't there a word for 'for' after ha aspettato?
In English, we say to wait 'for' something, but the Italian verb aspettare takes a direct object. You don't need a preposition; you just directly connect the verb to the thing being waited for (ha aspettato la pensione).
Why does the sentence use the article in la pensione when the English translation just says 'retirement'?
Italian uses definite articles like la for abstract concepts and broad categories, unlike English. So, retirement becomes la pensione.
Because he waited in the past, why don't we use the imperfetto tense (aspettava)?
The passato prossimo (ha aspettato) is used here because the action has a clear, defined duration that is totally finished (per dieci anni). If you used the imperfetto, it would sound like an ongoing background habit without a clear end.
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