Breakdown of Mi struggo perdutamente per lei, senza che lo sappia.
lei
she
per
for / in order to / because of
sapere
to know
lo
him/it (direct object)
senza che
without (+ clause)
perdutamente
madly / desperately
struggersi
to pine / to yearn
Questions & Answers about Mi struggo perdutamente per lei, senza che lo sappia.
Why is sappia in the subjunctive here?
The conjunction senza che (without) always requires the subjunctive. While your current lesson focuses on optative uses like se solo, senza che is another classic subjunctive trigger because it introduces an action that is not actually happening (her knowing). Here, it requires the present subjunctive of sapere.
Could I use the infinitive and say senza saperlo instead of senza che lo sappia?
Not in this sentence, because the two clauses have different subjects. I am the one pining, but she is the one who doesn't know. If you used the infinitive (senza saperlo), it would imply the subjects are the same, meaning you were pining without realizing it yourself! When the subjects differ, you must use senza che + subjunctive.
What is the function of the lo in lo sappia?
It translates to "it" and stands in for the entire situation described in the first clause (mi struggo perdutamente per lei). While in English we often drop the "it" and just say "without her knowing", in Italian the verb sapere (when knowing a fact) requires a direct object. You must explicitly say "without her knowing it".
What verb does struggo come from, and is it common?
It comes from the reflexive verb struggersi, which means to pine, to yearn, or to be consumed by an emotion. It is a highly expressive, slightly literary verb often found in romantic or dramatic contexts. Note that it is irregular: the soft gg sound in the infinitive becomes a hard g sound in the first person (mi struggo).
How exactly does perdutamente work in this context?
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