Question 1

Why doesn't nonostante trigger the subjunctive here?

Accepted Answer

Nonostante can act as a conjunction (meaning "even though") or a preposition (meaning "despite"). When it introduces a new clause with a verb, it requires the subjunctive. However, in this sentence, it is followed only by a noun phrase (il brutto tempo). Since there is no verb attached to it, the subjunctive doesn't apply.

Question 2

Why is the adjective brutto placed before the noun tempo?

Accepted Answer

While most descriptive adjectives in Italian go after the noun, very common, short adjectives related to beauty, size, and goodness (like bello, brutto, buono, and cattivo) typically come before the noun. Placing brutto before tempo is the standard, most natural way to say "bad weather."

Question 3

Does tempo usually mean "time" or "weather"?

Accepted Answer

It means both! You must rely on context to tell them apart. Here, il brutto tempo clearly refers to the weather. If you wanted to talk about a difficult or bad time in your life, you would more likely use a phrase like un brutto periodo.

Question 4

Why is the verb sono stati (passato prossimo) used instead of erano (imperfetto) for "were"?

Accepted Answer

Using the passato prossimo (sono stati) treats the celebrations as a completed, bounded event that is now over, summarizing the party as a whole. If the speaker had used the imperfetto (erano), it would sound more like they were setting the scene or describing an ongoing background atmosphere, perhaps before mentioning something else that happened.

Nonostante il brutto tempo, i festeggiamenti sono stati molto allegri.

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