Breakdown of Sostiene di eccellere in matematica.
in
in / made of (material)
di
to (linking a verb to a following infinitive)
sostenere
to claim
la matematica
the mathematics
eccellere
to excel
Questions & Answers about Sostiene di eccellere in matematica.
Why do we use di eccellere here instead of che eccelle?
This is how implicit declarative clauses work! When a verb of saying or knowing (like sostenere) has the exact same subject in the main clause and the dependent clause, Italian uses di + infinitive. You only use che + a conjugated verb when the subjects are different, like in Sostiene che lei eccelle (He claims that she excels).
Doesn't sostenere usually mean to support?
It does, but its meaning changes slightly based on context. It can mean to physically or financially support, but when used to introduce a statement or opinion, sostenere means to claim, to maintain, or to assert that something is true.
Why is it just in matematica and not nella matematica?
In Italian, the simple preposition in (without a definite article) is standard when referring to academic subjects, disciplines, or fields of study in the context of proficiency or specialization. You will see this same pattern in phrases like essere bravo in storia (to be good at history) or laurearsi in medicina (to graduate in medicine).
Would it be completely wrong to say Sostiene che eccelle in matematica to mean he claims he excels?
While technically understood, it sounds extremely clunky and unnatural to a native speaker. When the subject of the main clause claims something about themselves, the implicit di + infinitive is heavily preferred. Using che in this exact sentence would actually make an Italian assume he is talking about a different person!
Learn Sostiene di eccellere in matematica 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