Breakdown of Pur condannato all'ergastolo, spera nella libertà.
in
in / made of (material)
a
to / at
sperare
to hope
la libertà
the freedom
pur
even while / despite
condannare
to sentence
l'ergastolo
the life imprisonment (m)
Questions & Answers about Pur condannato all'ergastolo, spera nella libertà.
Why is pur followed just by a past participle (condannato) instead of a full verb?
When the subject of both halves of the sentence is the same, you can use pur + past participle (or gerund) as a shortcut for 'even though' or 'although'. It is a more elegant, concise way of saying anche se è stato condannato (even if he has been sentenced).
I learned that 'although' is sebbene or anche se. Could I use one of those here?
Why does the sentence use nella libertà when the English translation says 'hopes for freedom'?
When the verb sperare (to hope) is followed by a noun, it acts as an indirect-transitive verb, meaning it requires a preposition rather than a direct object. For sperare, that preposition is in. Since libertà is a feminine noun, in + la becomes nella.
Why is it condannato all'ergastolo? Does ergastolo just mean prison?
No, ergastolo specifically means 'life imprisonment' or a 'life sentence'. The verb condannare (to sentence or condemn) takes the preposition a to introduce the punishment, which combines with l'ergastolo to form all'ergastolo. If you wanted to just say 'prison', you would use prigione or carcere.
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