Breakdown of Penso che le radici superino l'ostacolo.
pensare
to think
superare
to overcome
l'ostacolo
the obstacle (m)
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
Questions & Answers about Penso che le radici superino l'ostacolo.
Why do we use the subjunctive superino instead of the indicative superano?
How do we form the present subjunctive for a regular -are verb like superare?
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).
The English translation says "will overcome", but isn't superino the present subjunctive?
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.
The noun radici ends in -i, but it takes the feminine plural article le. Is this an exception?