Breakdown of Avessimo comprato l'assicurazione due giorni fa!
avere
to have
due
two
il giorno
the day
comprare
to buy
fa
ago
l'assicurazione
the insurance (f)
Questions & Answers about Avessimo comprato l'assicurazione due giorni fa!
Why does this sentence start directly with a subjunctive verb (Avessimo) instead of a trigger word like se?
This is an independent exclamative subjunctive. You can use the past perfect subjunctive (the congiuntivo trapassato) all by itself to express a deep regret about a missed opportunity in the past. It perfectly translates the English 'If only...' even without words like 'if' or 'only'.
Why use the past perfect subjunctive (Avessimo comprato) rather than the imperfect subjunctive (Comprassimo)?
We use the past perfect subjunctive because the missed opportunity happened in the past (due giorni fa). If you were wishing for something right now, you would use the imperfect subjunctive, like Comprassimo l'assicurazione oggi! (If only we were buying the insurance today!).
Are there words I can add to this structure to emphasize the regret?
Can I still use se solo or magari with this specific sentence if I want to?
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