Breakdown of Quanto è sconveniente! Non l'avrebbe mica detto apposta?
essere
to be
non
not
avere
to have
quanto
how much/how many
dire
to say, to tell
lo
him/it (direct object)
mica
not at all / it's not like
apposta
on purpose
sconveniente
inappropriate / unseemly
Questions & Answers about Quanto è sconveniente! Non l'avrebbe mica detto apposta?
What is mica doing in this question, and why is there a non at the beginning?
In a question, non ... mica asks for confirmation while expressing a strong hope or expectation that the answer is negative. The speaker is hoping he didn't say it on purpose. It translates well to adding a tag question like 'would he?' or 'did he?' in English.
Why is the conditional past (l'avrebbe detto) used here instead of the indicative past (l'ha detto)?
The conditional is often used in Italian to express a supposition, an unconfirmed rumor, or doubt. By using the conditional past (l'avrebbe detto) rather than the indicative (l'ha detto), the speaker emphasizes that they are guessing or wondering about his past intentions, rather than stating a known fact.
Could I drop the non and just ask L'avrebbe mica detto apposta??
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