Word
Marco vuole che Anna tuteli la propria autonomia.
Meaning
Marco wants Anna to protect her own autonomy.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Marco vuole che Anna tuteli la propria autonomia.
Marco
Marco
Anna
Anna
volere
to want
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
Questions & Answers about Marco vuole che Anna tuteli la propria autonomia.
Who does propria refer to in this sentence, Marco or Anna?
It refers to Anna. The possessive proprio always refers back to the subject of the clause it is in. Since propria is in the dependent clause (che Anna tuteli...), it refers to the subject of that specific clause (Anna). It translates to "her own" autonomy here.
Could we just say la sua instead of la propria?
Yes, you could say la sua autonomia. However, using la propria emphasizes that it is strictly her own autonomy. In complex sentences with two third-person subjects (like Marco and Anna), using propria is also a great way to avoid ambiguity, making it 100% clear that the autonomy belongs to the subject of that clause (Anna) and not the other person (Marco).
Why is the verb tuteli used instead of tutela?
The verb tutelare (to protect) is in the present subjunctive form (tuteli). This is required because the main clause expresses a desire or will (Marco vuole che... meaning "Marco wants that..."). Verbs of wanting, wishing, or hoping always trigger the subjunctive mood in the clause that follows.
Why is there a la before propria?