Breakdown of Dovunque siano, dovranno seguire questo principio.
essere
to be
questo
this (masculine)
seguire
to follow
dovere
must
dovunque
wherever
il principio
principle
Questions & Answers about Dovunque siano, dovranno seguire questo principio.
Why do we use the subjunctive siano instead of the regular present tense sono here?
The word dovunque (wherever) introduces a condition with limitless possibilities. In Italian, indefinite words like dovunque, chiunque (whoever), and qualunque (whatever/any) trigger the subjunctive mood because they express this kind of open-ended uncertainty.
Could I use ovunque instead of dovunque in this sentence?
Yes, you can! Dovunque and ovunque both mean "wherever" or "everywhere" and they are completely interchangeable. Saying Ovunque siano... would mean exactly the same thing.
Why is the future tense dovranno used here when the first part uses the present subjunctive (siano)?
The first part sets up a general, ongoing condition ("Wherever they happen to be"). The second part expresses a firm future obligation ("they will have to follow it"). It is very common in Italian to pair a present subjunctive in the dependent clause with a future tense in the main clause.
Do I need to include the subject pronoun loro (they) in this sentence?
No, it is not necessary. Italian usually drops subject pronouns because the verb endings already tell you who is acting. Both siano and dovranno are the "they" forms of their verbs, so adding loro is only needed if you want to add heavy emphasis.
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