Breakdown of Bisogna che le radici trovino l'acqua sotto terra.
l'acqua
the water (f)
trovare
to find
la terra
the earth
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
bisognare
to be necessary
sotto
under, below
la radice
the root
bisogna
one must, it is necessary (frozen impersonal of bisognare)
Questions & Answers about Bisogna che le radici trovino l'acqua sotto terra.
Why do we use the subjunctive trovino here instead of the indicative trovano?
The phrase bisogna che (it is necessary that) is an impersonal expression showing necessity. In Italian, these types of impersonal triggers always require the verb in the following clause to be in the subjunctive mood.
How is the subjunctive form trovino made? Isn't -ino usually an ending for -ire verbs?
That is a great observation. In the present subjunctive, the vowel endings swap! For regular -are verbs like trovare, all three singular forms end in -i, and the loro (they) form ends in -ino. Meanwhile, -ere and -ire verbs take -a and -ano endings in the subjunctive.
Could I say c'è bisogno che instead of bisogna che?
Yes, c'è bisogno che means exactly the same thing and also triggers the subjunctive. However, be careful not to confuse this with avere bisogno di (to have need of), which requires a specific person as the subject. Bisogna is strictly impersonal, meaning it translates generally to 'it is necessary'.
Why is the plural of root le radici instead of le radice?
Why is there no article before terra, such as sotto la terra?
Sotto terra is a fixed expression that translates to the English word 'underground'. In common, everyday prepositional phrases like this, Italian often drops the definite article.
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