Question 1

Why is there a non in di quanto non pensassimo if the English translation isn't negative?

Accepted Answer

This is the "pleonastic" (redundant) non. In Italian, when a comparative of inequality (più or meno) is followed by a conjugated verb, an extra non is often inserted before that verb. It doesn't actually negate the sentence; it just emphasizes the gap between what was expected and the reality.

Question 2

Is the non mandatory here, or could I just leave it out?

Accepted Answer

It is completely optional. Saying di quanto pensassimo is perfectly correct and means exactly the same thing. Adding the pleonastic non just elevates the sentence slightly and adds a bit of stylistic emphasis to the contrast.

Question 3

Why do we use di quanto here instead of just di or che for "than"?

Accepted Answer

You generally use di or che when comparing nouns, pronouns, or adjectives. However, when "than" introduces a full clause with a conjugated verb (meaning "than what..."), you must use a phrase like di quanto, di quello che, or di quel che.

Question 4

Why is pensassimo in the subjunctive mood?

Accepted Answer

The comparative structure più ... di quanto triggers the subjunctive because it contrasts a real situation with a personal thought, expectation, or assumption rather than an objective fact. Because the main verb (era) is in the past tense, we use the imperfect subjunctive (pensassimo) to maintain the correct sequence of tenses.

L'offerta era più allettante di quanto non pensassimo, ma era una truffa.

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