Question 1

Why is ebbe mandato used here instead of the more common aveva mandato?

Accepted Answer

ebbe mandato is the Trapassato Remoto (preterite perfect). You must use this tense when an action happens immediately before another action in the distant past, specifically after time-related expressions like dopo che, appena, or non appena. Because the main action (si addormentò) is in the Passato Remoto, the preceding action triggered by dopo che must be in the Trapassato Remoto.

Question 2

Why does gli go before the auxiliary ebbe rather than attaching to the verb?

Accepted Answer

gli is the indirect object pronoun for "to him". In all compound tenses, including the Trapassato Remoto, object pronouns are placed immediately before the conjugated auxiliary verb. This is exactly the same rule you already use for the Passato Prossimo.

Question 3

Why does the Italian sentence use mandato instead of a word for "blown"?

Accepted Answer

In English, we say someone "blows a kiss," but Italians use the verb mandare (to send). So, mandare un bacio literally means "to send a kiss." Translating "blown" literally here would sound very unnatural to an Italian speaker.

Question 4

What is the infinitive of addormentò, and why is it reflexive?

Accepted Answer

The infinitive is addormentarsi (to fall asleep). In Italian, the non-reflexive addormentare means to put someone else to sleep, such as a baby or a patient. To say that someone falls asleep on their own, the verb must be reflexive, which is why we see the pronoun si.

Il gigante si addormentò dopo che la fata gli ebbe mandato un bacio.

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