Breakdown of A furia di crederci, ha incrinato ogni loro certezza.
avere
to have
loro
their
credere
to believe
ogni
every
ci
about it / in it (with verbs taking 'a')
la certezza
the certainty
a furia di
through sheer / by dint of
incrinare
to crack / to strain
Questions & Answers about A furia di crederci, ha incrinato ogni loro certezza.
What does a furia di add that the gerund credendo (by believing) wouldn't?
While credendo simply means "by believing", a furia di (or its exact synonym a forza di) emphasizes persistence or repetition. It means "by dint of", "by sheer force of", or "by doing [X] so much". As the current lesson notes, it must be followed by an infinitive (credere).
What is the ci doing at the end of crederci?
The translation uses "shook" for ha incrinato. What does incrinare literally mean?
Literally, incrinare means "to crack" or "to fracture" (like a glass, a vase, or a bone). Figuratively, it is heavily used with abstract concepts like a certezza (certainty), an alibi, or a relationship, meaning to severely compromise, undermine, or "shake" it.
Why is there no definite article before the possessive in ogni loro certezza?
Normally, the possessive loro always takes a definite article, even with singular family members (e.g., la loro certezza). However, the word ogni (every) acts as a determiner that takes the place of the article. Because you can never say ogni la, the article is dropped entirely.
Learn A furia di crederci, ha incrinato ogni loro certezza and more in Italian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free