Question 1

Why is the imperfect subjunctive of fare here facesse instead of being based on the modern infinitive?

Accepted Answer

In the imperfect subjunctive, a few irregular verbs use their old Latin stems instead of their modern infinitives. For fare, the stem is fac- (from the older Latin word). To form the imperfect subjunctive, you just add the regular endings to this old stem: facesse, facessimo, faceste, facessero.

Question 2

Why do we use the subjunctive in the second half of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

This sentence uses a hypothetical period to describe an imaginary or unlikely situation. In Italian, the "if" clause (se) in this structure must use the imperfect subjunctive (facesse), while the main result clause uses the conditional (valuterei). You cannot use the conditional directly after se.

Question 3

Doesn't titolo usually mean "title" like the title of a book?

Accepted Answer

Yes! However, in finance and business contexts, a titolo (short for titolo di credito) refers to a financial security, such as a stock, share, or bond. The context of banks and loans tells us to translate it as "stocks" here.

Question 4

Why does the sentence use fare for giving a loan instead of a verb like dare?

Accepted Answer

While English uses "to give a loan" or "to make a loan," Italian relies on the set phrase fare un prestito (literally "to make a loan"). The mi placed right before the verb is an indirect object pronoun, meaning the bank makes a loan "to me."

Valuterei i titoli se la banca mi facesse un prestito.

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