Log inSign up

Glielo avevo detto che tutto sfumava, è stata una grande delusione.

Glielo avevo detto che tutto sfumava, è stata una grande delusione.
I had told him that everything would fall through, it was a huge disappointment.
From Lesson 463:Future in the past with the imperfect (diceva che arrivava)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Glielo avevo detto che tutto sfumava, è stata una grande delusione.

Why is sfumava in the imperfetto tense if the English translation is 'would fall through'?
In colloquial, everyday Italian, the imperfetto is often used to express a 'future in the past' in reported speech. The action of everything falling through was going to happen after 'I had told him', representing a future event relative to a past moment.
What tense would I use instead of sfumava in formal writing?
To be grammatically strict, a 'future in the past' requires the past conditional. In formal writing or speaking, you would say che tutto sarebbe sfumato instead of che tutto sfumava.
Why do we use Glielo (to him, it) instead of just Gli? What does the lo refer to?
The lo anticipates the entire clause that follows: che tutto sfumava. While 'I had told him that...' translates directly to Gli avevo detto che..., spoken Italian frequently adds an anticipatory lo for emphasis, effectively saying 'I had told him it, that everything would fall through.'
Does sfumare literally mean 'to fall through'?
Literally, sfumare means 'to evaporate', 'to fade away', or 'to go up in smoke' (it shares a root with fumo, meaning smoke). It is the standard, natural verb to use when plans, deals, or opportunities fall through or come to nothing.
Why does the second clause use è stata (feminine) instead of è stato when there is no specific subject mentioned?
When the verb essere is used to identify or describe what something was, it agrees in gender and number with the noun that follows it. Since delusione (disappointment) is a feminine noun, the passato prossimo takes the feminine form è stata.

Learn Glielo avevo detto che tutto sfumava, è stata una grande delusione 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
Start learning Italian →