Breakdown of Avesse almeno spiegato quell'angoscia, invece di rischiare un infarto!
un
a / an (masculine)
quello
that
avere
to have
spiegare
to explain
Questions & Answers about Avesse almeno spiegato quell'angoscia, invece di rischiare un infarto!
Why does this sentence start with the pluperfect subjunctive avesse spiegato without a trigger word like se?
The pluperfect subjunctive can be used all by itself in an independent clause to express a strong, unfulfilled wish or regret about the past. It translates to "If only he had...". You could include the word se (Se avesse almeno spiegato), but dropping it makes the sentence sound much more emphatic and exasperated.
How does almeno change the meaning of the subjunctive verb here?
Almeno literally means "at least". When paired with an independent subjunctive expressing a past regret, it heavily emphasizes the "if only" feeling. The speaker is essentially saying "He could have at least explained..." or "If only he had explained...".
Since the English translation says "risking", why doesn't the Italian use the gerund rischiando?
English uses the "-ing" form after prepositions (instead of risking), but Italian requires the infinitive form of the verb after a preposition. Because the phrase is invece di (instead of), the preposition di must be followed directly by the infinitive rischiare.
Is infarto just a formal medical term, or is it common everyday vocabulary?