Breakdown of Ho dovuto arrabbiarmi per sfatare questa bufala scandalosa.
questa
this (feminine)
avere
to have
per
for / in order to / because of
dovere
must
arrabbiarsi
to get angry
la bufala
the hoax
scandaloso
scandalous
sfatare
to debunk
Questions & Answers about Ho dovuto arrabbiarmi per sfatare questa bufala scandalosa.
Why does this sentence use avere (ho dovuto) when arrabbiarsi is a reflexive verb that normally takes essere?
When a reflexive verb like arrabbiarsi is used with a modal verb (dovere, potere, volere), you have two choices for where to put the reflexive pronoun, which dictates your auxiliary verb. Because the pronoun mi is attached to the end of the infinitive here (arrabbiarmi), the modal verb uses its standard auxiliary: avere. If you had placed the pronoun before the verb, you would switch to essere: Mi sono dovuto arrabbiare.
Doesn't bufala mean "buffalo"? How does it mean "hoax" here?
Literally, yes, una bufala is a female water buffalo. However, in colloquial Italian, media, and daily conversation, una bufala is the standard term for "fake news," a "hoax," or a "scam." It's a very common B2-level idiom you will hear constantly when Italians discuss internet rumors or scams.
Where does the verb sfatare (to debunk) come from?
Could I place the adjective before the noun and say questa scandalosa bufala?
You could, but it would sound overly dramatic or poetic. While some descriptive adjectives can go before the noun to add subjective emphasis, keeping scandalosa after the noun (questa bufala scandalosa) is the most natural way to state it as an objective, defining fact.
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