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Avessi controllato l'orario dello scalo!

Avessi controllato l'orario dello scalo!
If only I had checked the layover schedule!
From Lesson 324:Past wishes (exclamative subjunctive)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Avessi controllato l'orario dello scalo!

Why does the sentence start directly with a subjunctive verb (avessi) instead of a trigger word like se (if)?
In Italian, you can use the past perfect subjunctive (trapassato congiuntivo) all by itself to express a strong regret about something that didn't happen in the past. It acts as an exclamation, which is why it translates to 'If only I had...'
Since avessi is the form for both io (I) and tu (you), how do we know this means 'If only I had checked'?
You have to rely on context. Standing alone, avessi controllato could indeed mean 'If only you had checked!' If the speaker wanted to avoid ambiguity, they could add a pronoun for emphasis, like Avessi tu controllato l'orario!
Why does the sentence use the combined preposition dello before scalo?
The noun scalo starts with an 's' followed by a consonant ('c'). Masculine nouns starting with this letter combination take the definite article lo rather than il. When you combine the preposition di (of) with lo, it becomes dello.
What does scalo literally mean in this context?
The word scalo generally refers to a transit stop, port of call, or railway yard. In travel contexts like this one, it means a 'layover' or 'stopover'. A non-stop flight, for example, is called a volo senza scalo.

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