Word
Sostiene di eccellere in matematica.
Meaning
He claims to excel in mathematics.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
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
mathematics
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?