Learn Italian: Conosco tutti i cuccioli, solo che questo finisce per abbaiare sempre. - I know all the puppies, except that this one always ends up barking.

Conosco tutti i cuccioli, solo che questo finisce per abbaiare sempre.

I know all the puppies, except that this one always ends up barking.

Breakdown of Conosco tutti i cuccioli, solo che questo finisce per abbaiare sempre.

for / in order to / because of

Questions & Answers about Conosco tutti i cuccioli, solo che questo finisce per abbaiare sempre.

Why is solo che followed by the indicative verb finisce instead of the subjunctive?

Solo che is a conversational connector that translates to 'except that' or 'the only thing is'. Even though it contains che, it introduces a factual obstacle, limitation, or afterthought rather than a hope, doubt, or subjective opinion, so it requires the indicative mood.

How does finisce per work to mean 'ends up'?

The structure finire per followed by an infinitive verb, like abbaiare (to bark), is the standard Italian way to express 'to end up doing something'. It emphasizes the final, sometimes inevitable outcome of a situation.

As a quick refresher, why do we use conosco here instead of so for 'I know'?

You use conoscere (conjugated here as conosco) when you are familiar or acquainted with people, animals, places, or things, like the puppies in this sentence. Sapere is reserved for knowing facts or knowing how to do something.

Why is the adverb sempre placed at the very end of the sentence?

In Italian, adverbs of frequency like sempre generally follow the verb. With a multi-word phrase like finisce per abbaiare, placing sempre at the very end sounds entirely natural and puts a slight emphasis on the fact that the puppy barks every single time without fail.