Word
Loro hanno un timore inconscio di soffrire.
Meaning
They have an unconscious fear of suffering.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Loro hanno un timore inconscio di soffrire.
un
a / an (masculine)
loro
they
avere
to have
di
to (linking a verb to a following infinitive)
Questions & Answers about Loro hanno un timore inconscio di soffrire.
Why do we use di before soffrire here?
The noun timore (fear/apprehension) requires the preposition di when it is followed by an infinitive verb. Nouns expressing feelings, thoughts, or needs usually take di before an infinitive, just like its more common synonym paura (for example, paura di soffrire or bisogno di soffrire).
What is the difference between timore and paura?
While both mean "fear", paura is the everyday, direct word for being scared. timore is slightly more elevated and often implies an underlying dread, apprehension, or psychological fear. It pairs beautifully with a word like inconscio (unconscious) to describe a deep-seated, abstract emotional state.
Why is soffrire in the infinitive when the English translation says "suffering"?
In English, prepositions are naturally followed by gerunds (the "-ing" form). In Italian, prepositions like di, a, da, and per must always be followed by the infinitive form of the verb. You can never use the Italian gerund (soffrendo) directly after a preposition.
Why does the adjective inconscio interrupt timore and the di phrase?