Breakdown of Se i direttori avessero più coraggio, avrebbero assunto il fuoriclasse.
avere
to have
il direttore
manager / director
se
if
più
more / anymore (with 'non')
il coraggio
courage
assumere
to hire
il fuoriclasse
star player
Questions & Answers about Se i direttori avessero più coraggio, avrebbero assunto il fuoriclasse.
Why is this sentence using the imperfect subjunctive (avessero) with the past conditional (avrebbero assunto)?
This is a mixed conditional. It mixes a present or ongoing condition with a past result. The directors lacking courage is a general, ongoing character trait, so it uses the imperfect subjunctive avessero. However, the missed opportunity to hire the player happened in the past, so the result clause uses the past conditional avrebbero assunto.
Could I say 'Se avessero avuto più coraggio' instead?
You could, but it changes the meaning slightly. Se avessero avuto più coraggio uses the pluperfect subjunctive and means 'If they had had more courage' at that specific moment in the past. Using avessero means 'If they were more courageous people' in general.
The word 'assunto' looks like the English word 'assume'. Is this a false friend?
Yes, it is! Assunto is the irregular past participle of assumere, which means to hire someone or to take on a responsibility. If you want to say 'assume' in the sense of guessing or supposing something, you should use verbs like presumere or supporre.
What is the origin of the word 'fuoriclasse' and how do I make it plural?
It is a compound word made of fuori (outside) and classe (class), used to describe someone in a league of their own, like a star athlete or a genius. Because it is formed by an adverb and a noun, it is invariable. This means the word itself doesn't change in the plural, so 'the star players' would simply be i fuoriclasse.
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