Learn Italian: Ha scombinato tutto pur di vendicarsi. - He messed everything up just to get revenge.

Ha scombinato tutto pur di vendicarsi.

He messed everything up just to get revenge.

Breakdown of Ha scombinato tutto pur di vendicarsi.

just to / in order to (at any cost)

scombinare

to mess up, to disrupt

Questions & Answers about Ha scombinato tutto pur di vendicarsi.

What does pur di mean here, and how is it used?

Pur di is a fixed phrase meaning 'just to', 'even if it means', or 'at all costs'. It is always followed by an infinitive verb (like vendicarsi here) and shows that someone is willing to do extreme things to achieve a specific goal.

Could we just say per vendicarsi instead of pur di vendicarsi?

Yes, but it would lose some intensity. Per vendicarsi simply states the purpose: 'in order to get revenge'. Using pur di adds a strong sense of desperation or obsession, emphasizing that he ruined everything specifically because revenge was his absolute priority.

How does the prefix s- change the root verb in scombinare?

The base verb is combinare, which means to put together, arrange, or organize. In Italian, adding the prefix s- often creates the opposite meaning, similar to 'un-' or 'dis-' in English. Therefore, scombinare means to undo, disorganize, or mess up.

Why is vendicarsi reflexive here?

The non-reflexive verb vendicare means to avenge someone or something else. To say 'to get revenge' for oneself, you use the reflexive form vendicarsi. Because it follows the preposition di, the verb stays in the infinitive and the reflexive pronoun si attaches directly to the end.