Breakdown of Ci teniamo, quindi siamo speranzosi.
essere
to be
quindi
therefore / so
ci
about it / in it (with verbs taking 'a')
tenere a
to care about
speranzoso
hopeful
Questions & Answers about Ci teniamo, quindi siamo speranzosi.
What does ci do in ci teniamo, and why doesn't it mean 'we hold ourselves'?
This is the pronominal verb tenerci, which means 'to care about something' or 'to attach importance to it'. The ci acts as a pronoun replacing 'about it'. It is an idiomatic use of tenere (to hold), so ci teniamo simply translates to 'we care about it'.
How does this sentence relate to our lesson about dropping che after verbs of hoping?
This sentence shows a way to express hope without triggering a subordinate clause. Because speranzoso is an adjective meaning 'hopeful', the phrase siamo speranzosi acts as a simple statement. If you instead used the verb sperare (to hope) followed by a specific outcome, you would enter the lesson's grammar topic, such as: Speriamo (che) vada tutto bene (We hope everything goes well).
What is the difference in nuance between siamo speranzosi and speriamo?
Siamo speranzosi emphasizes an ongoing state of mind or a general attitude ('we are full of hope' or 'we have a hopeful outlook'), whereas the verb speriamo usually focuses on the active, immediate hope for a specific outcome.
Is quindi interchangeable with allora or perciò in this sentence?
Yes, they all express consequence. Quindi, allora, and perciò can all translate to 'so' or 'therefore' here. Perciò is slightly more formal, literally meaning 'for this reason', while allora is extremely common in casual spoken Italian. Quindi is a highly versatile middle ground that works perfectly in both writing and speech.
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