Breakdown of Temo che la situazione sia più ingannevole e insidiosa di quanto non si creda.
essere
to be
e
and
non
not
più
more / anymore (with 'non')
di
than
credere
to believe
quanto
as (in comparisons)
la situazione
the situation
si
one (impersonal)
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
temere
to fear
insidioso
insidious
ingannevole
deceptive
Questions & Answers about Temo che la situazione sia più ingannevole e insidiosa di quanto non si creda.
Why is there a non before si creda if the English translation isn't negative?
This is the pleonastic non (an extra word that doesn't make the sentence negative). In Italian, when forming a comparative clause with più... di quanto (more... than), it is very common to insert non before the conjugated verb in the second part of the comparison. It emphasizes the contrast but doesn't change the English meaning.
Why is the verb creda in the subjunctive here?
The structure di quanto (than) triggers the subjunctive when it introduces a new conjugated verb in a comparative clause. It reflects the abstract or subjective nature of the comparison, which is why we see the subjunctive creda rather than the indicative crede.
How does si creda work to mean "one believes"?
Just as a refresher, what triggers the subjunctive sia in the first part of the sentence?
The verb temere (to fear). Verbs expressing emotion, fear, hope, or doubt followed by che require the subordinate clause to use the subjunctive. Here, Temo che forces the verb essere into its subjunctive form, sia.
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