Log inSign up

Verrà anche lui? Può darsi.

Verrà anche lui? Può darsi.
Will he come too? Maybe.
From Lesson 377:Probability adverbs with the indicative (forse, magari)·Italian

Breakdown of Verrà anche lui? Può darsi.

venire
to come
può darsi
maybe, it may be

Questions & Answers about Verrà anche lui? Può darsi.

What does può darsi literally mean?
It literally translates to it can give itself. It is a very common fixed expression used on its own to mean maybe or it is possible.
Since the current lesson covers words like forse, could I use forse instead of può darsi here?
Yes, as a standalone reply they mean the same thing and are interchangeable. The key difference is how they behave if you expand the sentence: forse takes the indicative mood, such as forse verrà, while può darsi che triggers the subjunctive mood, as in può darsi che venga.
Why is the subject lui placed at the very end of the question?
Placing the subject pronoun after the verb puts the spoken emphasis on that specific person. It highlights whether he specifically will be joining, which sounds much more natural in conversational Italian than starting the sentence with anche lui.
Italian usually drops subject pronouns, so why is lui required here?
You cannot drop the subject pronoun when it is modified by a word like anche. To clarify who exactly is being included, you must explicitly state lui alongside anche so the sentence does not feel incomplete.

Learn Verrà anche lui? Può darsi 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 →