Breakdown of Temevamo che i parassiti non rosicchiassero le foglie sul balcone.
non
not
il balcone
the balcony
sul
on the; about the (su + il)
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
la foglia
the leaf
temere
to fear
il parassita
the pest
rosicchiare
to gnaw
Questions & Answers about Temevamo che i parassiti non rosicchiassero le foglie sul balcone.
Why is there a non before rosicchiassero if the English translation doesn't say 'might not gnaw'?
This is the pleonastic (or 'extra') non. When using verbs of fearing like temere, Italian often slips a non into the following che clause. It doesn't actually make the verb negative; it just reinforces the feeling of apprehension that the event will happen. The sentence means exactly the same thing if you leave the non out.
Does the pleonastic non make sentences like this ambiguous? Could it mean 'We feared they might NOT gnaw the leaves'?
Technically, yes. Without context, this sentence could represent a genuine negative fear (fearing they wouldn't do it) or a positive fear with a pleonastic non (fearing they would). However, common sense almost always clarifies the meaning—since they are pests, you naturally fear they will eat your plants. If a situation is truly ambiguous, an Italian speaker will typically drop the pleonastic non to avoid confusion.
Why is the imperfect subjunctive (rosicchiassero) used here instead of the present subjunctive (rosicchino)?
Because of tense agreement. The main verb temevamo is in the past (imperfect tense). To show that the possibility of the pests gnawing the leaves existed at that same time in the past, the dependent clause must use the imperfect subjunctive.
What is the difference between rosicchiare and a basic verb like mangiare (to eat)?
Learn Temevamo che i parassiti non rosicchiassero le foglie sul balcone and more in Italian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free