Breakdown of Tutti credono che la sagra sia importante.
essere
to be
importante
important
tutto
everything
credere
to believe
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
la sagra
the local festival
Questions & Answers about Tutti credono che la sagra sia importante.
Wait, doesn't credere often take the preposition a? Why is it missing here?
Yes! When you believe in something or someone, you often use credere a (for example, credere alla magia - to believe in magic). However, Italian grammar forbids placing the preposition a directly in front of the declarative conjunction che (that). Whenever a verb that normally requires a introduces a che clause, the preposition must be deleted. So, rather than saying credono a che, we just say credono che.
Why do we use the subjunctive sia instead of the indicative è?
The verb credere (to believe) expresses a personal opinion or a subjective thought rather than an absolute fact. In Italian, verbs of opinion, doubt, and emotion trigger the subjunctive mood in the secondary clause. Since this clause describes what people believe, the indicative è must become the subjunctive sia.
Why is the verb credono plural when the English translation uses the singular 'believes'?
How is a sagra different from a regular festa (party/festival)?
A sagra is a very specific type of traditional local festival in Italy. While a festa can be any party or holiday, a sagra is usually a town-wide, outdoor community fair that celebrates a specific local food, agricultural harvest (like truffles or artichokes), or a patron saint.
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