Breakdown of Non voglio che il gattino vada al canile.
non
not
andare
to go / to be fine / to work out
al
to the / at the
volere
to want
Questions & Answers about Non voglio che il gattino vada al canile.
Why is the verb vada instead of va?
Because voglio che (I want that) expresses a desire. In Italian, verbs of desire or volition trigger the subjunctive mood in the second part of the sentence when the subject changes. The subject changes from "I" (io voglio) to "the kitten" (il gattino), so the regular present tense va becomes the present subjunctive vada.
Why does Italian use che here when English uses the infinitive "to go"?
In English, we use the structure "want someone to do something". Italian doesn't do this. When the person wanting is different from the person doing the action, you must use volere che (to want that) followed by the subjunctive. Literally, you are saying "I do not want that the kitten goes to the pound."
Is gattino a completely different word from gatto?
No, it's just gatto (cat) with the diminutive suffix -ino attached to the end. This suffix is used to make things small or cute, making il gattino the perfect and standard word for "kitten".
The word canile looks like it comes from cane (dog). Why is a kitten going there?