Breakdown of Avevamo sempre meno tempo per il cellulare.
sempre
always
per
for / in order to / because of
meno
to / less (time) / less
il cellulare
the mobile phone, the cell phone
avere tempo
to have time
Questions & Answers about Avevamo sempre meno tempo per il cellulare.
How does sempre meno translate to "less and less"?
In Italian, you do not repeat the word for "less" like we do in English. Instead, you use sempre (which usually means "always" but here implies a continuous change) followed by meno (less). So sempre meno literally means "continuously less," which translates perfectly to "less and less."
Why use the imperfect tense avevamo instead of the passato prossimo abbiamo avuto?
The imperfect tense is used for ongoing situations or states in the past. Since having "less and less time" is a gradual, continuous process rather than a single completed event, the imperfect avevamo is the natural choice here.
Does the word meno change its ending to match tempo?
Could I use telefonino instead of cellulare in this sentence?
Yes! Both words mean "cellphone." Cellulare is the standard term, while telefonino is a diminutive (literally "little telephone") that is also very common in everyday spoken Italian.
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