Breakdown of Il mistero dell'universo si viene svelando.
di
of, from
venire
to come
si
himself, herself, themselves (reflexive)
svelare
to reveal
l'universo
the universe (m)
il mistero
the mystery
Questions & Answers about Il mistero dell'universo si viene svelando.
Why use venire instead of stare here?
Using venire + a gerund (like viene svelando) expresses an action that unfolds gradually over a period of time. If we used sta svelando, it would just mean it is happening right at this exact moment. Venire adds the idea of a slow, continuous progression, which fits perfectly with the idea of a universal mystery.
Why is there a si before viene svelando?
Could I attach the si to the end of the gerund instead?
We previously learned that venire forms the passive voice. Is that what is happening here?
Not exactly. The standard passive voice uses venire + the past participle (for example, viene svelato means 'is revealed'). Here, we have venire + the gerund (svelando), which forms a progressive tense. The passive meaning in this specific sentence actually comes from the si, not from the verb venire itself.
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