Question 1

Could I use così instead of talmente in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes! talmente and così are completely interchangeable here. You could say era così appiccicoso che... with exactly the same meaning. talmente just adds a slightly stronger emphasis, similar to saying it was so very sticky.

Question 2

I usually expect che to trigger the subjunctive. Why is non si muoveva in the imperfect indicative?

Accepted Answer

The word che only triggers the subjunctive when it follows expressions of doubt, opinion, emotion, or desire. Here, talmente ... che sets up a consecutive clause, meaning it states a factual result. The glass actually didn't move, so it stays in the indicative mood.

Question 3

Why do we need the reflexive pronoun si in non si muoveva? Can I just say non muoveva?

Accepted Answer

You need the si because muoversi is acting as an intransitive verb here, describing the subject's own movement. If you just used muoveva, an Italian speaker would wait to hear what direct object the glass was trying to move!

Question 4

What is the root of the adjective appiccicoso?

Accepted Answer

It comes from the verb appiccicare, which means to stick, paste, or glue something. Adding the suffix -oso turns it into an adjective, exactly like adding '-y' to 'stick' creates 'sticky' in English.

Il tavolo era talmente appiccicoso che il bicchiere non si muoveva.

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