Learn Italian: Non sono ancora certo, dobbiamo scrutare tutto. - I am still not certain; we must scrutinize everything.

Non sono ancora certo, dobbiamo scrutare tutto.

I am still not certain; we must scrutinize everything.

Breakdown of Non sono ancora certo, dobbiamo scrutare tutto.

Questions & Answers about Non sono ancora certo, dobbiamo scrutare tutto.

This lesson is about negative declarations of certainty triggering the subjunctive. Why isn't there a subjunctive verb after Non sono ancora certo?

To trigger the subjunctive, expressions of uncertainty need to introduce a dependent clause, usually linked by the word che (that). For example, Non sono certo che lui sia qui (I am not sure that he is here). In our sentence, Non sono ancora certo is just an independent statement. Because it doesn't introduce another action using che, no subjunctive is triggered.

Could I put ancora at the end of the first clause, saying Non sono certo ancora?

While Italians would understand you, it sounds a bit clunky. Adverbs like ancora (still/yet), già (already), and mai (never) typically sit between the verb and the adjective, or between the auxiliary verb and the past participle. Therefore, Non sono ancora certo is the most natural word order.

What kind of looking does scrutare imply?

Scrutare translates to scrutinize, peer at, or examine closely. It is a very active, intense verb that implies searching for hidden details or reading into something deeply. It is much stronger than guardare (to look) and slightly more investigative than osservare (to observe).

Why don't we need a direct object pronoun here, like in dobbiamo scrutarlo tutto?