Breakdown of È un vero peccato che lei tema così tanto l'altezza.
essere
to be
lei
she
un
a / an (masculine)
vero
true / right? (tag question)
tanto
so much, a lot / as (in comparisons)
così
so, like this
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
temere
to fear
l'altezza
height
il peccato
pity
Questions & Answers about È un vero peccato che lei tema così tanto l'altezza.
Why is the verb tema used instead of teme?
tema is the present subjunctive form of temere (to fear). It is triggered by the phrase È un vero peccato che (It is a real pity that). In Italian, impersonal expressions that state an emotion, opinion, or judgment followed by che require the verb in the next part of the sentence to be in the subjunctive mood.
Why is it necessary to include the pronoun lei before tema? Usually we drop subject pronouns in Italian.
You need it here for clarity. In the present subjunctive, the conjugations for io, tu, lui, and lei of regular -ere verbs all end in -a. Because of this, tema on its own could mean I fear, you fear, he fears, or she fears. Adding lei makes it clear exactly who you are talking about.
Why does the Italian use the singular l'altezza when the English translation says "heights"?
When talking about broad categories or general fears, Italian often uses the singular noun along with the definite article. Saying you fear l'altezza (literally "the height") is the most natural and standard way to express a fear of heights in Italian.
Can I change the word order and put così tanto at the end of the sentence?
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