Breakdown of La loro dinastia ebbe molti problemi, ma il suo prestigio fu immenso.
essere
to be
ma
but
avere
to have
il problema
problem
Questions & Answers about La loro dinastia ebbe molti problemi, ma il suo prestigio fu immenso.
Why use the passato remoto (ebbe, fu) here instead of the passato prossimo (ha avuto, è stato)?
The passato remoto (remote past) is used to describe events that happened completely in the distant past and have no lingering connection to the present. You will see it constantly in history, literature, and storytelling. Since describing a "dynasty" usually implies a historical account, the remote past is the most natural fit here.
Are ebbe and fu regular conjugations in the passato remoto?
No, they are highly irregular. Ebbe is the third-person singular of avere, and fu is the third-person singular of essere. Because these are the two most common verbs in the language, it's very important to memorize their irregular passato remoto forms, as you'll encounter them in almost every Italian novel or history book.
Why is it il suo prestigio instead of la sua, since the prestige belongs to the feminine dinastia?
In Italian, possessive adjectives always agree with the gender and number of the thing being owned, not the owner. Prestigio is a masculine singular noun, so you must use the masculine singular il suo, even though the "owner" (the dynasty) is feminine. Also, remember that suo can mean "his," "her," or "its" depending on the context!
Why does end in "-i" if it takes the masculine adjective ?