Breakdown of Ha risposto senza esitare.
avere
to have
senza
without
rispondere
to answer, to reply
esitare
to hesitate
Questions & Answers about Ha risposto senza esitare.
Why does Italian use the infinitive esitare here instead of a gerund (like 'hesitating' in English)?
In Italian, prepositions like senza (without) are always followed by the infinitive form of the verb, not the gerund. English speakers often want to translate the -ing ending directly, but after a preposition in Italian, you must use the infinitive.
How do we know who is the one not hesitating?
We know from the main verb, ha risposto. You can only use this simple senza + infinitive structure (called an implicit clause) when the person doing both actions is exactly the same. Since 'she' is the one answering, we automatically know 'she' is also the one not hesitating.
Risposto looks irregular. What is the infinitive?
The infinitive is rispondere. It has an irregular past participle (risposto). You will see this exact same pattern in other verbs ending in -ondere, such as nascondere (to hide), which becomes nascosto.
Could I translate senza esitare as 'without hesitation'?
Yes, absolutely! Even though esitare is a verb, Italian frequently prefers using an infinitive where English might use a noun. Both 'without hesitating' and 'without hesitation' are completely natural translations.
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