Word
Il collega insinua che noi c'entriamo.
Meaning
The colleague insinuates that we have something to do with it.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Il collega insinua che noi c'entriamo.
noi
we
il collega
the colleague
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
entrarci
to have to do with
Questions & Answers about Il collega insinua che noi c'entriamo.
The lesson says entrarci is usually negative. What does it mean here in the affirmative?
When used affirmatively, entrarci means "to be involved" or "to have something to do with it". While you will hear the negative (non c'entra niente) more frequently to say "that is irrelevant", the positive form here perfectly captures the accusation that we are indeed involved in whatever happened.
Does insinuare trigger the subjunctive? c'entriamo looks like the present indicative.
Yes, insinuare expresses an unverified opinion or suspicion, so it requires the subjunctive. However, for almost all Italian verbs, the noi form in the present subjunctive is exactly the same as the present indicative (entriamo). So, grammatically, it acts as the subjunctive here even though it looks identical to the indicative form.
What exactly does the c' (from ci) mean in this specific verb?
In the pronominal verb entrarci, the ci originally meant "in it" or "in there" (like fitting into a physical space). Figuratively, it evolved to mean fitting into a situation. In this sentence, it does not replace a specific phrase from earlier in the conversation; it is simply a baked-in part of the verb that gives it the meaning of "having a part in" the matter.
Is the pronoun noi strictly necessary here, or could we just say che c'entriamo?