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Il commensale desidera che Marco porti un altro stuzzichino.

Il commensale desidera che Marco porti un altro stuzzichino.
The dinner guest wants Marco to bring another snack.
From Lesson 421:Emphasizing topics (chi / quello che)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Il commensale desidera che Marco porti un altro stuzzichino.

How would we rewrite this sentence to emphasize what the guest wants using a pseudo-cleft structure?
You can use quello che or ciò che to create a pseudo-cleft sentence. The sentence becomes: Quello che il commensale desidera è che Marco porti un altro stuzzichino. This structure highlights the specific desire, functioning exactly like the English structure: What the dinner guest wants is...
Why do we use porti instead of the indicative porta?
The main verb desiderare expresses a wish or desire. When a sentence expresses a wish, emotion, or doubt using che, and the subjects of the two clauses are different (il commensale vs. Marco), Italian requires the subjunctive mood. Porti is the present subjunctive of portare.
Is there a difference between commensale and ospite?
Yes. Ospite is a versatile word that can mean either guest or host in almost any context. Commensale specifically shares a root with mensa (table) and refers strictly to someone sharing a meal with others at the same table.
Why doesn't un altro have an apostrophe here?
Since stuzzichino is a masculine noun, it takes the masculine indefinite article un. The article un stands on its own and never takes an apostrophe before a vowel. You only use the apostrophe with the feminine article una (becoming un') before a vowel, like in the feminine phrase un'altra.

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