Breakdown of Il veterinario è arrivato e vuole che tu inizi la cura.
essere
to be
tu
you (singular)
e
and
arrivare
to arrive
iniziare
to start
volere
to want
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
il veterinario
the veterinarian
la cura
the care / the treatment (medical)
Questions & Answers about Il veterinario è arrivato e vuole che tu inizi la cura.
Why is the subjunctive used for inizi in this sentence?
Wait, doesn't the normal present tense of iniziare for tu also end in -i?
Yes! For regular -are verbs like iniziare, the present subjunctive forms for io, tu, and lui/lei all end in -i. So tu inizi happens to look exactly the same in both the regular present tense and the subjunctive. The only way to know it is subjunctive here is the trigger vuole che.
Why is the pronoun tu included before inizi? Can't we just say vuole che inizi?
You can leave it out, but including tu adds necessary clarity here. Because the subjunctive forms for io, tu, and lui/lei are identical (they are all inizi), adding the pronoun makes it perfectly clear that the vet wants you to start the treatment, rather than saying I should start it or someone else should.
Is cura a false friend here? Does it mean cure or treatment?
It means both, but in this medical context it usually refers to a treatment plan or a course of medication. The vet isn't demanding an instant magical cure, but rather that you begin the prescribed therapy for the animal.
Quick refresher: why do we say è arrivato instead of ha arrivato?
Learn Il veterinario è arrivato e vuole che tu inizi la cura and more in Italian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free