Log inSign up

Non abbiamo potuto rimandare l'appuntamento per questo motivo.

Non abbiamo potuto rimandare l'appuntamento per questo motivo.
We couldn't postpone the appointment for this reason.
From Lesson 102:Past tense of modal verbs·Italian

Questions & Answers about Non abbiamo potuto rimandare l'appuntamento per questo motivo.

Why do we use abbiamo as the auxiliary verb here instead of siamo?
In the passato prossimo, modal verbs like potere usually take the auxiliary of the infinitive verb that follows them. The following verb here is rimandare (to postpone). Since you would use avere to say we postponed (abbiamo rimandato), you also use avere for the modal: abbiamo potuto rimandare.
Why doesn't the ending of potuto change to match the subject?
Because it is used with the auxiliary verb avere. In the passato prossimo, past participles only change their endings to match the subject when they are paired with the auxiliary verb essere. With avere, the participle just keeps its default -o ending.
Does rimandare literally mean to postpone?
Literally, it means to send back. It is made up of the verb mandare (to send) and the prefix ri- (re- or back). In Italian, sending an event back is the standard way to say you are postponing or pushing it back.
Why is the preposition per used in the phrase per questo motivo?
The preposition per (for) is commonly used in Italian to indicate the cause or reason for an action. So the phrase translates word-for-word as for this reason.

Learn Non abbiamo potuto rimandare l'appuntamento per questo motivo and more in Italian

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Italian →