Breakdown of Possiamo procedere senza che il capo intervenga.
potere
can, to be able to
il capo
the boss
senza che
without (+ clause)
procedere
to proceed
intervenire
to intervene
Questions & Answers about Possiamo procedere senza che il capo intervenga.
Why do we use intervenga instead of the normal present tense interviene?
intervenga is the present subjunctive form of intervenire. You must use the subjunctive here because of the phrase senza che (without). In Italian, senza che always triggers the subjunctive because it describes an event that is not happening or is being avoided.
In English, we say "without the boss intervening". Why doesn't Italian use a gerund like intervenendo or an infinitive like intervenire here?
Italian only allows senza + infinitive if the subject of both halves of the sentence is the exact same. Here, the first subject is "we" (hidden in possiamo) and the second is "the boss" (il capo). Because the subject changes, you cannot use the infinitive; you must use senza che followed by the subjunctive.
intervenga has a "g" in it, but the infinitive is intervenire. Where does the "g" come from?
intervenire is built from the common irregular verb venire (to come). Whenever you learn a compound verb like this, it conjugates exactly like its root verb. Just as the he/she/it present subjunctive of venire is venga, intervenire becomes intervenga.
Could I change the word order and say senza che intervenga il capo?
Yes, absolutely! In Italian, it is very common and natural to place the subject after the verb in a dependent clause like this. It means exactly the same thing, just with a tiny bit more emphasis on the fact that "the boss" is the specific person who shouldn't intervene.
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