Breakdown of In ogni caso, se avessimo finito il capitolo, non divagheremmo.
non
not
avere
to have
finire
to finish
se
if
il capitolo
the chapter
in ogni caso
in any case
divagare
to digress
Questions & Answers about In ogni caso, se avessimo finito il capitolo, non divagheremmo.
How does in ogni caso function here compared to a word like comunque?
Both in ogni caso and comunque translate to "anyway" or "in any case" and are used to resume a main topic by dismissing a previous digression. In ogni caso is slightly more emphatic—literally meaning "in every case"—and effectively shuts down whatever tangent was just being discussed to get back on track.
Could I put in ogni caso at the end of the sentence instead of the beginning?
While it is grammatically possible to put it at the end, placing it at the very beginning is the most natural spot for a conversational connector used to resume a topic. Putting it first immediately signals to the listener that you are shifting gears and pulling the conversation back to the main point.
Why do we have the past perfect subjunctive (avessimo finito) paired with the present conditional (divagheremmo)?
This is a mixed hypothetical sentence. The condition is something that didn't happen in the past ("if we had finished"), so it takes the past perfect subjunctive. However, the result is happening right now in the present ("we wouldn't be digressing now"), so it uses the present conditional. When the timeframes of the condition and result are different, you mix the tenses.
What is the infinitive of divagheremmo, and why is there an "h" in the spelling?
The infinitive is divagare (to digress or wander). As a quick refresher: when forming the future or conditional tense for verbs ending in -care or -gare, you must add an h right after the c or g. This maintains the hard "g" sound before the vowel e. Without the h, the "g" would become soft, like the "j" in "jeans."
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