Breakdown of Speravo che l'angelo mi guardasse dal cielo.
il cielo
the sky
guardare
to look at / to watch
mi
me (direct object)
dal
from the; to/at the (da + il)
Questions & Answers about Speravo che l'angelo mi guardasse dal cielo.
Why is guardasse in the imperfect subjunctive rather than the regular imperfect indicative (guardava)?
The main verb is Speravo (I hoped). Verbs expressing hope, desire, or emotion require the subjunctive mood in the dependent clause that follows che (that). Therefore, we must use the subjunctive instead of the normal indicative mood (guardava).
Why do we use the imperfect subjunctive (guardasse) here instead of the present subjunctive (guardi)?
This demonstrates the sequence of tenses for simultaneous actions. Because the main verb Speravo is in a past tense, and the watching was happening at the same time as the hoping, Italian requires the imperfect subjunctive in the second clause. You would only use guardi if the main verb were in the present tense (like Spero).
Why use the imperfect tense Speravo instead of the passato prossimo Ho sperato?
The imperfect tense (Speravo) is typically used to describe ongoing states of mind, feelings, or continuous conditions in the past. It conveys the idea of a continuous feeling, much like 'I was hoping'. The passato prossimo is reserved for completed, one-time actions.
Why does the sentence use dal cielo instead of just da cielo?