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- Topic: Italian >
- "Vorrei che mi chiamasse."
54 Comments
DL didn't accept "I would like you called me" and sugg ested "I would like THAT you called me". Please, è proprio così?
Martha...It's not clear to me what you mean by "In that case", but if you're referring to Duo's translation than, no, since "him" ("he") requires a 3rd persons form.
*I may be wrong, but I believe this is just a common grammatical construction in Italian.
Cond. + che + Imp. subj.
Basically, when the conditional requires a subj. clause, it requires the imp. subj. not the present subj.. So while Ind. goes "Voglio che mi chiami", the conditional mood requires. "Vorrei che mi chiamasse". I think this construction is called the "periodo ipotetico" - https://ciaoitaliablog.wordpress.com/classes/hypothetical-phrases/
English grammar has a similar construction.
I suggest (Ind.) that you be (pres. subj.) early
Contrast that with,
I would be (cond.) happy, if I were (past subj.) rich.
I would be happy, if he were to call me.
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Good call. I just read about periodo ipotetico. Dante Learning has a great article and quiz on that: https://dante-learning.com/eng/periodo-ipotetico-italian-conditional-sentences/
Good question. You'd think present sub. since 'vorrei' is present. Maybe someone can explain why past, and under what circumstances in a sentence like this, present sub. would be correct.
I can only think it's because the correct translation would be 'I would like him to have called me' but Duolingo seems to regard this as incorrect. (There are some more, similar, examples in this section) I'm going to assume that's the case in reality but remember to enter Duolingo's preference in order not to get marked wrong!
Thanks, but that still sounds past, where D L's translation is present. In other words I see a difference in the English between "I would like him to call me tonight' and 'I would like him to have called me yesterday." but I don't know how to resolve that.
"I'd want that you called me." -- the other "correct" option is NOT English.
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Why is this not correct? "I would like that she call me." I thought that's the way subjunctive worked in English. (my "call" was corrected to "calls")
It's correct, but it's not how most native speakers would say it. In other words it sounds stilted. It's more natural sounding to say: "I would like her to call me."
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Thanks, I always like to test my understanding of English as well. Still, if it's correct, it should be accepted in my opinion.
Yes, I believe so and the bottom line is you understood the sense of the italian and that's what the site's testing, not english.
I agree. It is ironic that in teaching us Italian subjunctive, Duo does not allow English subjunctive. (Dr. Johnson would not approve.)
It's just not a normal English sentence really. The vast majority of English people would never use it and would hear it as very odd and overly formal.
Another americanism. I would say I would like him to phone me, but this is marked incorrect. In British English it is more natural and "call" does not involve a phone!
craaash80: It's almost right: "I would like IT IF he were to call me." That would be more natural. As written it'd be incorrect and unnatural, though you'd be understood.
The suggestion "I'd want for him to call me" is just bad english. Use " I would like him...."
"want" & "would like" aren't the same. The former is stronger, the latter more polite.
thanks! but it is just a subtle difference i think. i do not remember but i think they did't accept "want"
It's not subtle at all. I can understand why DL didn't accept 'want'. Yes, both express a desire for something, but one is curt, blunt even rudely brief while the other is polite.
The tense is wrong in that translation, but the correct answer "I would want him to have called me" is not accepted.
Jo-AnnHan: I don't believe so. Your suggestion would be translated as: Vorrei che mi avesse chiamto. Duo's translation is correct.
Stergi3: You've omitted the subject. We say: I would like HIM to call me, but if expressed as it is in Italian it'd be: I would like that HE calls me. So you need a subject of the verb 'chiamasse'.
nwws: the verb form is subjunctive imperfect, but it's meaning is present tense as translated. For example in English you can say "I would him to call me (now) or "I would like it if he WERE to call me now." Looks like past time's being referred to but it's really present time.
unusual english sentence "correct", normal english sentence with same meaning "incorrect". Does anyone at duo speak English?
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Any Italian speakers out there- why is the subject specifically male (not female) and difference between 'want' and 'would like'?
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It would go the same way - it's accepting "I would like her to call me" as a translation of the same sentence. It's not accepting "them"-singular though, so I've reported that (14/01/2020).
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The sentence is in present. Vorrei means "I would like", and the subjunctive then has to be in imperfect form, but still refers to the present (it's a general rule). It has already been mentioned in other answers. "Her" should be accepted otherwise.
Want vs like. I'm reading the sentence "i wanted him to call me". Please explain?
Want vs like. I'm reading the sentence "i wanted him to call me". Please explain?
Want vs like. I'm reading the sentence "i wanted him to call me". Please explain.
