Breakdown of Abbiamo installato la telecamera perché registri chi prova a scassinare la serratura.
avere
to have
provare
to try
registrare
to record
chi
whoever / the people who (the one who, those who)
installare
to install
a
(linking a verb to a following infinitive)
la serratura
the lock
perché
so that (purpose)
la telecamera
the security camera
scassinare
to force open / to pick
Questions & Answers about Abbiamo installato la telecamera perché registri chi prova a scassinare la serratura.
Why is registri in the subjunctive rather than the normal present tense registra?
This highlights the key difference between perché meaning 'because' and perché meaning 'so that'. Here, it expresses purpose ('so that it records'), which requires the subjunctive. If you were just stating a factual reason ('because it is recording'), you would use the indicative registra.
Could I use affinché instead of perché here?
Yes, absolutely. Affinché also means 'so that' and always takes the subjunctive. Using affinché registri is slightly more formal and removes any ambiguity, but Italians frequently use perché for purpose in everyday speech, so you need to be able to spot it.
How does chi work in this sentence to mean 'whoever'?
Why is there an a between prova and scassinare?
The verb provare (to try) requires the preposition a when it is followed directly by an infinitive verb. It is a set pattern you have to memorize, similar to iniziare a (to start to) or riuscire a (to manage to).
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