Breakdown of Questo limite vale per chiunque, dovunque abiti.
questo
this (masculine)
abitare
to live
per
for / in order to / because of
il limite
the limit
chiunque
anyone / whoever
dovunque
wherever
valere
to apply
Questions & Answers about Questo limite vale per chiunque, dovunque abiti.
Why does the sentence use the subjunctive abiti instead of the normal present tense abita?
The word dovunque (wherever) introduces a concessive clause, which describes a condition that does not change the main fact. In Italian, words like dovunque, chiunque, and qualunque trigger the subjunctive mood when they introduce a verb. Therefore, we use the subjunctive abiti.
Wait, isn't chiunque also supposed to trigger the subjunctive?
It does, but only when it introduces a clause with an attached verb. In this sentence, chiunque is just acting as a simple pronoun after the preposition per (for anyone). Because there is no verb directly attached to it here, there is no subjunctive to trigger until we get to dovunque.
Why does the English translation say 'they live' when abiti is strictly singular?
How does the verb valere mean 'applies' in this context?
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