Breakdown of Aggiungo questa clausola, affinché il pagamento sia sicuro.
essere
to be
questo
this (masculine)
sicuro
safe
aggiungere
to add
Questions & Answers about Aggiungo questa clausola, affinché il pagamento sia sicuro.
Why do we use sia here instead of è?
Sia is the present subjunctive of essere. It is required here by the conjunction affinché (so that). Conjunctions of purpose like affinché always trigger the subjunctive because they describe an intended goal rather than an established fact.
Can I use perché instead of affinché in this sentence?
Yes! When followed by the subjunctive, perché also means "so that" and works exactly like affinché. However, affinché is a bit more formal, which fits perfectly here given the business vocabulary like clausola (clause) and pagamento (payment).
What if I wanted to say "I add this clause so that I am safe"? Would I still use affinché?
Usually, no. When the subject is the same in both parts of the sentence ("I" add, so that "I" am safe), Italian prefers per followed by an infinitive verb: Aggiungo questa clausola per essere sicuro. You use affinché plus the subjunctive when the subjects are different, as they are in this sentence ("I" add it, so that "the payment" is safe).
I thought sicuro meant "sure" or "certain". Can it also mean "safe"?