Question 1

Why do we use the subjunctive superino instead of the indicative superano?

Accepted Answer

The phrase Penso che (I think that) expresses an opinion. In Italian, expressing a personal opinion, doubt, or belief triggers the subjunctive mood in the second part of the sentence, which is why we must use the subjunctive form superino.

Question 2

How do we form the present subjunctive for a regular -are verb like superare?

Accepted Answer

To form the present subjunctive for regular -are verbs, you drop the -are ending and add the subjunctive endings. For the loro (they) form, the ending is -ino, making it superino. As a quick reminder, the singular forms (for io, tu, and lui/lei) all share the exact same ending: -i (superi).

Question 3

The English translation says "will overcome", but isn't superino the present subjunctive?

Accepted Answer

Exactly! Italian does not have a future tense in the subjunctive mood. When you express an opinion or belief about something that will happen in the future, you just use the present subjunctive. The context of the sentence makes it clear that the action is expected in the future.

Question 4

The noun radici ends in -i, but it takes the feminine plural article le. Is this an exception?

Accepted Answer

It is not an exception, but it belongs to a specific group of nouns. The singular form is la radice (the root). Nouns that end in -e in the singular can be either masculine or feminine, but they almost always change their ending to -i in the plural, regardless of their gender.

Penso che le radici superino l'ostacolo.

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