Breakdown of Essi hanno vissuto molti anni in esilio.
l'anno
the year (m)
avere
to have
molto
a lot of / much
in
in / made of (material)
Questions & Answers about Essi hanno vissuto molti anni in esilio.
Why use essi instead of loro for "they"?
Essi is the formal or literary subject pronoun for "they" (referring to a masculine or mixed group). While loro is what you will hear and use in everyday conversation, essi is common in literature, historical texts, and formal writing.
I thought vivere used essere in the past tense. Why is it hanno vissuto here?
Vivere is one of a few verbs that can take either avere or essere in compound tenses. Using avere (hanno vissuto) often emphasizes the active process or duration of living, which fits perfectly here with molti anni. Using essere is also grammatically correct but tends to emphasize the state of existence.
If I chose to use essere with vivere, how would this sentence change?
Can I say per molti anni instead of just molti anni?