Breakdown of Il carico di spezie è andato distrutto.
essere
to be
di
of, from
distruggere
to destroy
andare
to get (lost/destroyed)
il carico
cargo
la spezia
spice
Questions & Answers about Il carico di spezie è andato distrutto.
Why use è andato instead of è stato here if the meaning is "got destroyed"?
Using andare (to go) as the auxiliary for the passive voice instead of essere adds a specific nuance: it highlights that the event was an unfortunate loss, accident, or destruction. È andato distrutto gives the feeling of "it went to ruin" or "it ended up destroyed."
Can I use this andare passive construction with any verb?
No, when used to express an unfortunate event, it only works with verbs of loss, destruction, or disappearance, such as distruggere (to destroy), perdere (to lose), or smarrire (to misplace). You cannot use it for neutral actions. (Note: andare can also express necessity, like va fatto for "it must be done", but that is a different usage).
Notice how both andato and distrutto end in -o. If the subject were feminine, like la nave (the ship), how would this change?
Why is it carico di spezie and not carico delle spezie?
Using just di describes the category or type of the cargo (a spice cargo). If you used the articulated preposition delle (of the), it would mean the cargo was made up of specific spices that you had already mentioned previously in the conversation.
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