Breakdown of Le è stato concesso di parlare durante l'udienza.
essere
to be
parlare
to speak / to talk
le
to her
di
to (linking a verb to a following infinitive)
durante
during
l'udienza
the hearing (f)
concedere
to grant
Questions & Answers about Le è stato concesso di parlare durante l'udienza.
Why is the verb masculine singular (è stato concesso) if it refers to a woman (Le)?
The passive verb agrees with the subject, and Le is an indirect object meaning to her, not the subject. In this sentence, the subject is the infinitive phrase di parlare (to speak). When an action or infinitive clause is the subject, Italian uses the default masculine singular form.
In English, the subject is she. Why is it an indirect object in Italian?
This is a major difference between English and Italian passives. English allows an indirect object (the person receiving the permission) to become the subject of a passive sentence. Italian strictly forbids this. The person remains an indirect object (Le), and the thing being granted becomes the actual subject of the passive verb.
Why do we need the word di before parlare?
The active verb pattern is concedere a qualcuno di fare qualcosa (to grant or allow someone to do something). That required preposition di stays in place to connect the verb to the infinitive, even when the sentence is flipped into the passive voice.
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