Breakdown of Ho paura che l'insetto voli nella stanza.
l'insetto
the insect
avere
to have
la paura
fear
la stanza
room
nella
in the (in + la)
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
volare
to fly
Questions & Answers about Ho paura che l'insetto voli nella stanza.
Why is voli used instead of the normal present tense vola?
Ho paura che (I am afraid that) expresses an emotion. In Italian, expressions of emotion or attitude followed by che require the subjunctive mood in the second part of the sentence. Because of this, the regular present tense vola changes to the present subjunctive voli.
If the sentence was 'I am afraid of flying', would I still use the subjunctive?
No. If the subject of both actions is the same (I am afraid, and I am the one flying), you drop che and use di + the infinitive verb: Ho paura di volare. You only use che + subjunctive when the subject changes, like it does here from 'I' to 'the insect'.
Volare is an -are verb. Why does it end in an -i here?
Why is it nella stanza rather than in la stanza?
When the preposition in (in) is followed by a definite article like la (the), they must combine into a single word. In + la always merges to become nella.
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