Breakdown of Voglio un bar accogliente che non chiuda prima dell'alba.
un
a / an (masculine)
non
not
il bar
the bar / the cafe
chiudere
to close
volere
to want
che
who, that (relative pronoun)
prima di
before (doing something) / before (a noun / point in time)
accogliente
cozy / welcoming
l'alba
the dawn (f)
Questions & Answers about Voglio un bar accogliente che non chiuda prima dell'alba.
Why is chiuda in the subjunctive instead of the regular present tense chiude?
Because you are describing a type of bar you want, but you do not know if it actually exists yet. When a relative clause (starting with che) describes an undefined or desired thing, Italian uses the subjunctive to show that it is a requirement you are looking for, not an established fact.
Would it be wrong to say che non chiude?
It completely changes the meaning. Using the indicative chiude means you are talking about a specific, real bar that you already know exists, and you are simply stating a fact about its hours. Using chiuda makes it a wish or a condition for the bar you are hoping to find.
How do we form the subjunctive chiuda from the infinitive chiudere?
Chiuda is the present subjunctive form for the third-person singular (it) of the regular verb chiudere (to close). Remember that for regular -ere and -ire verbs, the singular present subjunctive endings all end in -a.
Why is it dell'alba instead of just di alba?
The phrase for 'before' is prima di. In Italian, you almost always need the definite article before nouns like alba (dawn). When the preposition di meets the article l', they combine to form the articulated preposition dell'.
Bar is a masculine noun, so why does accogliente end in an 'e'?
Adjectives that end in -e in their base singular form are used for both masculine and feminine nouns. The ending only changes in the plural, where it becomes accoglienti.
Learn Voglio un bar accogliente che non chiuda prima dell'alba and more in Italian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free