Breakdown of Spruzzo il repellente per evitare che le lumache non entrino.
non
not
per
for / in order to / because of
entrare
to enter
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
evitare
to avoid
spruzzare
to spray
il repellente
the repellent
la lumaca
the snail
Questions & Answers about Spruzzo il repellente per evitare che le lumache non entrino.
Why is there a non before entrino when the English translation says "from entering", not "from not entering"?
This is a "pleonastic" (extra) non. In Italian, verbs that express hindering, forbidding, or preventing, like evitare (to prevent/avoid), often trigger this extra non in the dependent clause. It emphasizes the negative outcome you are trying to stop, but it doesn't logically negate the verb it precedes.
Is it grammatically wrong if I leave the non out and just say evitare che le lumache entrino?
Why is the verb entrino in the subjunctive mood here?
Verbs of preventing, forbidding, and avoiding (like evitare) trigger the subjunctive in the dependent clause. This is because they express a desire, intention, or an attempt to manipulate a situation, rather than stating a concrete fact.
Could I translate "prevent the snails from entering" using an infinitive, like evitare le lumache entrare?
No, Italian grammar doesn't allow that structure. Because the subject changes—"I" am spraying, but "the snails" are the ones entering—you must use che followed by a conjugated verb in the subjunctive. You would only use an infinitive if the subject remained the same, using di (e.g., Evito di entrare meaning "I avoid entering").
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