Breakdown of Se giocassimo, ognuno sognerebbe di vincere alla lotteria.
a
to / at
giocare
to play
se
if
vincere
to win
di
to (linking a verb to a following infinitive)
ognuno
everyone / each one
la lotteria
the lottery
sognare
to dream
Questions & Answers about Se giocassimo, ognuno sognerebbe di vincere alla lotteria.
Why do we use giocassimo here instead of a regular past tense?
This sentence uses the second conditional to talk about a hypothetical situation. In Italian, the 'if' clause (se) in these sentences must use the imperfect subjunctive, which is giocassimo for 'we'.
Why does the verb change from 'we' (giocassimo) to the 'he/she' form (sognerebbe)?
Why is there a di before vincere?
In Italian, certain verbs need a specific preposition to connect to a following infinitive verb. The verb sognare (to dream) requires di before another verb. So, 'to dream of doing something' is always sognare di fare qualcosa.
Why does the sentence say alla lotteria instead of just la lotteria?
While in English you 'win the lottery' (using a direct object), Italians say vincere alla lotteria, which translates literally as 'to win at the lottery'. It is a set phrase you simply have to memorize.
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