Breakdown of L'anno scorso avevamo un criceto tranquillo.
un
a / an (masculine)
l'anno
the year (m)
tranquillo
quiet
avere
to have
scorso
last / previous
il criceto
the hamster
Questions & Answers about L'anno scorso avevamo un criceto tranquillo.
Why do we use the imperfetto avevamo instead of the passato prossimo abbiamo avuto here?
We use the imperfetto because having a pet is an ongoing state or description in the past, not a single completed action. Whenever you describe a continuous state of being or possession in the past, the imperfetto is the right choice.
What makes avevamo a regular verb in the imperfetto?
The verb avere is completely regular in the imperfetto! You drop the -ere from the infinitive to get the stem av-, then add the regular noi ending -evamo, giving you avevamo.
How is the word scorso used in time expressions like l'anno scorso?
Why does the adjective tranquillo come after criceto?
In Italian, adjectives that describe a specific trait, personality, or state of being like tranquillo (quiet) almost always follow the noun they modify.
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