Breakdown of Mi fido che Lei saldi la fattura.
Lei
you (formal)
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
la fattura
the invoice
fidarsi
to trust
saldare
to settle (a debt)
Questions & Answers about Mi fido che Lei saldi la fattura.
Wait, isn't the verb fidarsi di? Why is the di missing before che?
You are right that to trust someone or something is fidarsi di. However, in Italian, you cannot put a preposition directly before the declarative conjunction che (that). When a verb normally requires di or su but is followed by a che clause, the preposition must be dropped. So, Mi fido di... becomes Mi fido che...
Why does this sentence use the subjunctive saldi instead of the indicative salda or future salderà?
Verbs expressing belief, hope, or trust like fidarsi trigger the subjunctive mood in the dependent clause. Even though the English translation says will settle, Italian often uses the present subjunctive (saldi) for a future action that is dependent on someone's expectations.
What is the difference between saldare and pagare?
Why is the subject pronoun Lei included here? Aren't pronouns usually dropped?
It is included for clarity. In the present subjunctive, the first, second, and third-person singular forms of saldare are all identical (saldi). Adding Lei makes it clear that the speaker is addressing the other person formally, rather than talking about themselves (io) or a third party (lui or lei).
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