Breakdown of Pur di primeggiare, stanno per barare.
per
for / in order to / because of
stare
to stay, to feel, to be
barare
to cheat
pur di
just to / in order to (at any cost)
primeggiare
to excel / to stand out (by being first)
Questions & Answers about Pur di primeggiare, stanno per barare.
How exactly does pur di work here, and why does it take the infinitive?
Pur di expresses extreme purpose, translating to "just to," "for the sake of," or "even if it means." Because the people who want to excel are the same people who are about to cheat, we use this implicit construction: pur di followed directly by the infinitive primeggiare.
Where does the verb primeggiare come from?
Why use stanno per instead of the future tense bareranno (they will cheat)?
The construction stare per + infinitive means "to be about to" do something. It highlights that the action is imminent and will happen in a matter of moments, whereas the regular future tense (bareranno) just states that it will happen at some point.
Can I use barare for cheating on a school test or in a romantic relationship?
No, barare is specifically used for breaking the rules in a game, sport, or competition. If you are cheating on an exam, you use copiare (to copy). If you are cheating on a romantic partner, you use tradire (to betray).
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