Breakdown of Temo che gli insetti non rovinino il giardino.
non
not
l'insetto
the insect (m)
il giardino
the garden
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
rovinare
to ruin
temere
to fear
Questions & Answers about Temo che gli insetti non rovinino il giardino.
Why is there a non before rovinino if the translation doesn't say 'might not ruin'?
This is the core of the current lesson: the 'pleonastic' (or extra) non. After verbs of fearing like temere, Italian often inserts a non in the dependent clause that doesn't actually negate the verb. It is an elegant stylistic habit inherited from Latin that emphasizes the speaker's apprehension.
Do I have to include this non whenever I use temo che?
If the non doesn't mean 'not' here, how would I express 'I fear the insects might NOT ruin the garden'?
Because the pleonastic non looks exactly like a negative non, this sentence is technically ambiguous! In real life, context makes it clear whether you are afraid of the ruining happening, or afraid of it not happening. If confusion is likely, Italians will often rephrase the sentence to avoid the ambiguity.
Why is rovinino in the subjunctive mood?
Verbs expressing fear or worry, like temere, convey a subjective emotion about a potential outcome. This always triggers the subjunctive mood in the dependent clause. Since the main verb temo is in the present tense, we use the present subjunctive rovinino.
Why do we use che here instead of di, as in Temo di...?
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