Breakdown of Attivo l'antifurto perché prevenga i furti.
il furto
the theft
attivare
to activate
l'antifurto
the burglar alarm (m)
prevenire
to prevent (anticipate, take precautions)
Questions & Answers about Attivo l'antifurto perché prevenga i furti.
Why is prevenga in the subjunctive here instead of the indicative?
In this sentence, perché means 'so that' or 'in order to' (expressing purpose), not 'because'. When perché is used to show purpose, it always triggers the subjunctive. If you used the indicative (previene), the sentence would change meaning to 'I activate the alarm because it prevents thefts.'
Could I use a different word instead of perché to mean 'so that'?
Yes, you can use affinché, which is a very clear way to express purpose and also requires the subjunctive. Saying affinché prevenga removes any ambiguity, whereas perché relies entirely on the subjunctive verb to show that it means 'so that' rather than 'because'.
How is the subjunctive form prevenga constructed?
Prevenire (to prevent) is a compound of venire (to come) and is conjugated the exact same way. Just as the present subjunctive of venire for he/she/it is venga, prevenire becomes prevenga.
Why does the sentence use both antifurto and furti?
L'antifurto is a fixed noun meaning 'burglar alarm' (literally 'anti-theft device'), referring to the single physical object. I furti is the regular plural of il furto (the theft). The sentence is literally saying 'I activate the anti-theft [device] so that it prevents thefts.'