Breakdown of Che lo spirito si manifesti o svanisca per sempre!
o
or
sempre
always
per
for / in order to / because of
lo spirito
the spirit
che
let (introducing a third-person command)
manifestarsi
to manifest oneself
svanire
to vanish
Questions & Answers about Che lo spirito si manifesti o svanisca per sempre!
Why does this sentence start with Che rather than a verb like a normal command?
True imperative (command) forms only exist for tu, noi, and voi. To give a command to a third party (like "Let the spirit..."), Italian uses che followed by the present subjunctive. It acts like an indirect command, as if you were saying "[I demand] that the spirit..."
Why is the pronoun si placed before manifesti? Shouldn't pronouns attach to the end of commands?
Pronouns attach to the end of true imperative verbs, such as in Fallo! (Do it!). However, because this third-party command is grammatically a subjunctive clause, the pronoun follows the normal rules for conjugated verbs and must go before the verb.
Why is the subjunctive form of svanire (to vanish) svanisca and not just "svana"?
Svanire is an "-isc-" verb. Just like in the present indicative where you say lui svanisce, that same "-isc-" infix is required in the singular forms (and third-person plural) of the present subjunctive, resulting in svanisca.
Does the che at the beginning apply to both verbs in this sentence?
Yes. The single che at the beginning triggers the exhortative subjunctive for both verbs connected by o (or). It essentially means "Let the spirit manifest itself, or [let it] vanish forever!"
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