Question 1

Does the connector altrimenti require the subjunctive mood?

Accepted Answer

Not automatically. Altrimenti simply means "otherwise" and takes whatever mood fits the meaning of the consequence. Here, it takes the present indicative (perdiamo) because losing the contract is presented as a certain, factual result. You would only use the conditional if the consequence were hypothetical (for example, altrimenti perderemmo il contratto - "otherwise we would lose the contract").

Question 2

Could I say sennò instead of altrimenti in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, sennò (or se no, meaning "if not") is a perfect synonym for altrimenti. However, altrimenti is slightly more formal and professional, which makes it the better choice for this specific business context involving a deadline (scadenza) and a contract (contratto).

Question 3

Improrogabile is translated as "strict" here. What is its literal meaning?

Accepted Answer

It literally means "unextendable" or "cannot be postponed." It is built from the noun proroga (an extension or postponement), the negative prefix im-, and the suffix -abile (-able). It is the most precise vocabulary word in Italian for a "hard deadline."

Question 4

Since losing the contract is a future consequence, why use the present tense perdiamo instead of the future perderemo?

Accepted Answer

Perderemo is grammatically correct, but using the present indicative for near-future events is very common in Italian. In this sentence, using the present tense emphasizes that the consequence is an absolute, immediate certainty if the strict deadline is missed.

La scadenza è improrogabile, altrimenti perdiamo il contratto.

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