Non c'è nessun ostacolo, non abbiamo niente da temere.
There is no obstacle, we have nothing to fear.
Breakdown of Non c'è nessun ostacolo, non abbiamo niente da temere.
non
not
avere
to have
c'è
there is / there are
niente
nothing
l'ostacolo
the obstacle
da
to (purpose/necessity after a noun)
temere
to fear
nessuno
no / not any (+ noun)
Questions & Answers about Non c'è nessun ostacolo, non abbiamo niente da temere.
Why is there no apostrophe in nessun ostacolo even though the noun starts with a vowel?
Because ostacolo is a masculine noun. The form nessun is used for masculine words starting with a vowel. We only use the apostrophe form (nessun') for feminine words starting with a vowel, to show that the final 'a' of nessuna was dropped (like in nessun'amica).
How do I know whether to use nessun or nessuno before a masculine noun?
The adjective nessuno follows the exact same rules as the indefinite article un and uno. Because you would say un ostacolo, you use nessun ostacolo. You only use the full nessuno before masculine nouns where you would use uno (words starting with z, gn, ps, pn, or s + consonant, like nessuno scoglio).
Why does the sentence use both non and nessun, and then non and niente?
Why is the preposition da used in niente da temere?
When connecting words like niente (nothing) or qualcosa (something) to an infinitive verb (like temere) to express purpose or something that can be done, Italian requires the preposition da. This translates directly to 'nothing to fear'.
Learn Non c'è nessun ostacolo, non abbiamo niente da temere and more in Italian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free