Breakdown of Fosse per me, non giocherei mai a scacchi con lui.
essere
to be
lui
he
non
not
con
with
per
for / in order to / because of
me
me
a
to / at
giocare
to play
mai
ever / never
gli scacchi
the chess
Questions & Answers about Fosse per me, non giocherei mai a scacchi con lui.
Why is se missing at the beginning of the sentence?
This sentence uses an advanced conditional structure where the word se (if) is dropped, and the clause starts directly with the imperfect subjunctive verb (fosse). This works just like the English structure "Were it up to me..." instead of "If it were up to me...".
What does fosse per me literally translate to?
It literally translates to "Were it for me." It is a very common fixed expression in Italian meaning "If it were up to me," "If it were my choice," or "If I had it my way."
Is it grammatically correct to put se back into the sentence?
Why is there an a before scacchi?
In Italian, the verb giocare (to play) requires the preposition a when referring to games or sports. So, while in English you just "play chess," in Italian you must say giocare a scacchi.
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