Question 1

This lesson is about the passato remoto. Why does this sentence use the imperfetto (rispettavano) instead of the passato remoto (rispettarono)?

Accepted Answer

The key is the word sempre (always). The passato remoto is used for completed, one-time events in the distant past. Since not respecting the law was a continuous, ongoing habit or state rather than a single isolated event, Italian requires the imperfetto.

Question 2

Why is the article gli used here instead of i?

Accepted Answer

Imperatore (emperor) is a masculine word, so its plural is masculine too. For masculine plural nouns that start with a vowel, Italian always uses the definite article gli instead of i.

Question 3

Why does sempre come after the verb here, unlike English where "always" comes before the verb?

Accepted Answer

In Italian, adverbs of frequency like sempre (always), mai (never), and spesso (often) typically go immediately after the conjugated verb. So the phrase translates literally as "not they-respected always".

Question 4

What is the plural of la legge?

Accepted Answer

The plural is le leggi. Remember that nouns ending in -e in the singular (whether masculine or feminine) change their ending to -i in the plural.

Gli imperatori non rispettavano sempre la legge.

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