Breakdown of Prima, l'amministratore lavorava molto e diceva che il suo condominio era perfetto.
essere
to be
e
and
molto
a lot of / much
suo
his/her/Your
lavorare
to work
dire
to say, to tell
prima
before, earlier
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
perfetto
perfect
l'amministratore
the manager
il condominio
the condominium
Questions & Answers about Prima, l'amministratore lavorava molto e diceva che il suo condominio era perfetto.
If the manager was talking about his own building, what exactly were his original words before they were reported?
Why is the verb era (was) used here? What if the building is still perfect right now?
In Italian indirect speech, when the reporting verb is in the past (like diceva), the verb in the reported clause usually has to shift a step back in time to match it. So, even if the building is still perfect today, his original present tense statement (è perfetto) shifts to the imperfect tense (era perfetto).
Why do we use the imperfect for lavorava and diceva rather than the passato prossimo?
The introductory word Prima (Before) sets up a general description of how things used to be. We use the imperfect tense here because it describes continuous, habitual actions in the past (he "used to work" and "used to say"), rather than single, completed events.
Does amministratore just mean a standard business manager?
It can mean "administrator" or "manager" in a business, but in Italy, when paired with a condominio (apartment building), the amministratore is specifically the building manager. They are legally appointed to handle the shared expenses, maintenance, and rules for all the apartment owners in the building.
Learn Prima, l'amministratore lavorava molto e diceva che il suo condominio era perfetto 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