Learn Italian: Devi rispettare il budget, altrimenti cancellano il contratto. - You must respect the budget, otherwise they cancel the contract.

Devi rispettare il budget, altrimenti cancellano il contratto.

You must respect the budget, otherwise they cancel the contract.

Breakdown of Devi rispettare il budget, altrimenti cancellano il contratto.

Questions & Answers about Devi rispettare il budget, altrimenti cancellano il contratto.

Does altrimenti require the subjunctive mood here since it implies a condition?

Even though altrimenti (otherwise) sets up a conditional situation (meaning "if you don't..."), it takes the standard indicative mood, not the subjunctive. This is because it introduces a factual or direct consequence rather than a purely hypothetical scenario.

Why is the verb rispettare used with il budget?

While English speakers usually say "stick to" or "stay within" a budget, Italian uses rispettare (to respect). You will also see this verb commonly used for adhering to rules, limits, and deadlines, such as rispettare le regole (to follow the rules).

Who is the "they" in cancellano if no subject was mentioned earlier?

The third-person plural verb cancellano is used here as an impersonal "they," referring to whoever is in charge of the contract. Italian uses this structure exactly the same way English does to refer to an unspecified group of people with authority.

Since canceling the contract is a future consequence, why is cancellano in the present tense?

In Italian, the present tense is frequently used instead of the future tense for events that are seen as certain, immediate, or direct consequences. You could perfectly well use the future tense cancelleranno (they will cancel), but using the present makes the warning feel more immediate and concrete.