Log inSign up

Non c'è nessuna discoteca qui che sia aperta fino all'alba.

Non c'è nessuna discoteca qui che sia aperta fino all'alba.
There is no nightclub here that is open until dawn.
From Lesson 222:Subjunctive in relative clauses (che abbia)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Non c'è nessuna discoteca qui che sia aperta fino all'alba.

Why do we use the subjunctive sia here instead of è?
In Italian, when a relative clause (starting with che) describes something that doesn't exist, you must use the subjunctive mood. Because the sentence says there is "no nightclub" (nessuna discoteca), the nightclub is a non-existent thing, which triggers the subjunctive sia.
Why do we need both non and nessuna in this sentence?
Italian frequently uses double negatives. When a negative word like nessuna (meaning "no" or "not any") comes after the verb, you must also put non before the verb. Literally, you are saying "There is not no nightclub."
Does nessuna change its ending depending on the noun?
Yes. nessuna acts as an adjective here and must agree with the feminine singular noun discoteca. If you were talking about a masculine noun, you would drop the ending and use nessun (for example, nessun ristorante).
Why is it fino all'alba instead of just fino l'alba?
The Italian expression for "until" or "up to" is fino a, which always requires the preposition a. When you combine a with the definite article l' (from l'alba, meaning "the dawn"), they merge into the combined preposition all'.

Learn Non c'è nessuna discoteca qui che sia aperta fino all'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
Start learning Italian →