Breakdown of Cerco un supermercato che venda birra fredda.
un
a / an (masculine)
freddo
cold
cercare
to look for
vendere
to sell
il supermercato
the supermarket
che
who, that (relative pronoun)
la birra
the beer
Questions & Answers about Cerco un supermercato che venda birra fredda.
Why does this sentence use venda instead of vende?
Because you are looking for a supermarket that meets a certain requirement, but you don't know if it actually exists yet. In Italian, when a phrase starting with che describes something undefined, desired, or hypothetical, we use the subjunctive mood. venda is the present subjunctive form of vendere (to sell).
Would I ever use the normal present tense (vende) with this phrase?
Yes, if you were talking about a specific, known supermarket that you are certain exists. For example, if you say 'I am going to the supermarket that sells cold beer,' you would use the indicative: Vado al supermercato che vende birra fredda. Since you used un (a) in this sentence, it shows you haven't found a specific one yet!
Why isn't there an article before birra fredda? Don't Italian nouns usually need one?
Could I say sto cercando instead of cerco since the translation says 'I am looking for'?
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