Breakdown of Il paziente non sapeva che quella donna fosse la propria moglie.
essere
to be
la donna
the woman
non
not
quello
that
la moglie
the wife
sapere
to know
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
il paziente
the patient
proprio
one's own
Questions & Answers about Il paziente non sapeva che quella donna fosse la propria moglie.
Why does this sentence use the subjunctive fosse? Isn't knowing a fact something that usually takes the indicative?
Why do we need the imperfect subjunctive fosse here instead of the present subjunctive sia?
This is due to the sequence of tenses. The main verb non sapeva is in the past (the imperfect tense). To show that her being his wife was a fact at that exact same time in the past, the dependent clause must use the imperfect subjunctive.
Does the use of the past tense fosse imply that the woman is no longer his wife?
Not at all! The imperfect subjunctive fosse simply aligns the timeline with the past tense main verb. It describes a state of being that was true at that moment in the past, regardless of whether she is still his wife today.
Why use propria instead of sua for his?
Proprio (and its feminine form propria) is a possessive adjective meaning one's own. It is often used instead of suo or sua when the possessor is the subject of the sentence (here, il paziente). It adds emphasis and completely eliminates any ambiguity about whose wife she is.
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