Breakdown of Con un nuovo decreto, ha imposto che non mangiassimo carne.
un
a / an (masculine)
nuovo
new
non
not
avere
to have
mangiare
to eat
con
with
la carne
the meat
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
il decreto
the decree
imporre
to impose
Questions & Answers about Con un nuovo decreto, ha imposto che non mangiassimo carne.
Why is mangiassimo (imperfect subjunctive) used instead of the present subjunctive mangiamo?
Because the main verb, ha imposto, is in a past tense. When you report a past command using che, the sequence of tenses requires you to use the imperfect subjunctive in the dependent clause, even if the decree is still in effect now.
The lesson says we can use di + infinitive for commands. Could we say ha imposto di non mangiare carne?
You could, but you would need to add an indirect object to the main verb to show who received the command. For example, ci ha imposto di non mangiare carne (he ordered us not to eat meat). Because the main clause here doesn't specify who was given the order, we use che + the conjugated verb mangiassimo to clearly introduce the new subject (noi).
Why isn't there a definite article before carne?
When you talk about an uncountable noun in a broad, negative, or indefinite sense (meat in general, rather than a specific piece of meat), Italian often drops the definite article, just like English does.
What is the infinitive of ha imposto?
The infinitive is imporre (to impose). It belongs to a family of verbs ending in -porre (like proporre or supporre). These verbs are irregular because they are based on their old Latin root, which gives us past participles ending in -posto.
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