Breakdown of Tra l'altro, il conduttore vuole che si commenti questo retroscena con la satira.
questo
this (masculine)
con
with
volere
to want
si
one (impersonal)
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
il conduttore
the presenter
tra l'altro
among other things
la satira
the satire
commentare
to comment on
il retroscena
the behind the scenes
Questions & Answers about Tra l'altro, il conduttore vuole che si commenti questo retroscena con la satira.
Why is the verb commenti in the subjunctive mood?
It is triggered by the phrase vuole che (wants that). Verbs expressing desire, will, or commands require the subjunctive in the following clause when the subject changes. Here, the host is wishing for an action to be performed by others.
How does the si function in si commenti questo retroscena?
This is the passive si (si passivante). When an impersonal si is used with a transitive verb and an object (questo retroscena), it creates a passive meaning: 'that this backstory be commented on.' The verb agrees with the noun, which is why commenti is singular to match the singular retroscena.
The lesson is about using vi with the impersonal si. How would that look if we added 'there' to this sentence?
If you wanted to say the host wants the backstory to be commented on 'there' (referring to a specific program or place), you would use the locative vi. Placed before the impersonal si, it becomes vuole che vi si commenti questo retroscena. This is often preferred in formal Italian over ci si, especially to avoid clashing sounds if another ci is nearby.
What does tra l'altro literally mean?
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