Breakdown of Ammettiamo chiunque arrivi, a patto che non infranga la legge.
non
not
arrivare
to arrive
chiunque
anyone / whoever
a patto che
on the condition that
la legge
the law
infrangere
to violate
ammettere
to admit
Questions & Answers about Ammettiamo chiunque arrivi, a patto che non infranga la legge.
Why do we use the subjunctive arrivi instead of the regular present tense arriva?
The word chiunque (whoever / anyone who) introduces an unknown or indefinite person. In Italian, indefinite words like chiunque, qualunque, and dovunque trigger the subjunctive because they express a sense of "no matter who/what/where," dealing with hypotheticals rather than specific facts.
Since "whoever" could refer to a large group of people, shouldn't the verb be plural?
What triggers the subjunctive in the second verb, infranga?
The phrase a patto che (provided that / on condition that). Conjunctions that set a condition or limitation always take the subjunctive in Italian. They frame the action as a hypothetical requirement rather than an established certainty.
What is the infinitive of infranga, and how does its pronunciation change here?
The infinitive is infrangere (to break or violate). In the regular present tense, it has a soft sound (lui infrange, sounding like the "j" in "jump"). But in the present subjunctive, the "a" ending forces it to take a hard sound (che lui infranga, sounding like the "g" in "go").
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