Learn Italian: Arriviamo in cima anche se è difficile. - We arrive at the top even though it is difficult.

Arriviamo in cima anche se è difficile.

We arrive at the top even though it is difficult.

Breakdown of Arriviamo in cima anche se è difficile.

in / made of (material)

arrivare

to arrive

Questions & Answers about Arriviamo in cima anche se è difficile.

Why does anche se mean "even though" here instead of "even if"?

Anche se can mean both! When you use it with the regular indicative mood (the normal present, past, or future tenses you already know), it translates nicely to "even though" because you are stating a real fact. Here, è difficile is a fact: the journey is currently difficult.

Wait, doesn't "even though" sometimes require an advanced verb tense like the subjunctive in Italian?

It does for some other connecting words like sebbene, but anche se is special! When stating a fact, anche se just takes the normal indicative mood (like the regular present tense verb è used here). This makes it a very easy and useful phrase for A2 learners.

Why do we use the preposition in instead of a or alla for "at the top"?

The phrase in cima is a fixed expression in Italian meaning "at the top" or "to the top." You don't need to combine it with a definite article (like la) or use the preposition a, so you can just memorize it as a set chunk of vocabulary.

Why is there no Italian word for "it" before è difficile?

In English, we have to use a "dummy" subject like "it" for descriptive phrases like "it is raining" or "it is difficult." Italian doesn't use these placeholder subjects at all. You just use the verb on its own, which is why we simply say è difficile.