Mixing third person singular with third person plural in module 8.2

In Module 8.2 on filling up your car with gas, I came across this sentence which is confusing me:

Se si è fiduciosi e si hanno i vocaboli, si possono affrontare tutte le situazioni.

The English translation it gives is:
If you are trusting and have the language, you can face any situation.

I'm confused because of the è in the beginning of the sentence. Shouldn't it be sono (referring to lui/lei)? For one, fiduciosi is plural, and it goes on to say si hanno and si possono--both plural as well. 

Hi John,

You've noticed an interesting structure here! The sentence uses a mix of third person singular ("è") and third person plural ("hanno," "possono"), which can indeed be confusing at first glance.

Here’s what’s happening:

- "Se si è fiduciosi…": This part uses an impersonal construction with "si" (often referred to as "si impersonale"). In Italian, this is a common way to express general statements that apply to people in general, not just one person. The verb "è" is singular because the "si impersonale" construction typically uses the third person singular, even when the subject is understood to be plural (in this case, people in general who might be "fiduciosi").

- "…e si hanno i vocaboli…": Here, the verb "hanno" is plural because it's referring to the implicit, general "they" or "people" who have the words/vocabulary.

- "…si possono affrontare tutte le situazioni.": Similarly, "possono" is plural because it continues to refer to the general "they" or "people" who can face situations.

So, although the sentence starts with "è," which might seem singular, it's part of the "si impersonale" structure, which commonly uses singular verbs at the start. As the sentence progresses and refers to actions that "people" in general can do, the verbs shift to plural to match the implied general subject.

The sentence is correct, and the mixed usage is due to how Italian handles impersonal or general statements. It’s a bit tricky, but once you get used to it, it’ll make more sense!

Hope this clears up the confusion! Feel free to ask more questions if you have any.

Best,
Enxhi

Wow! This response was so helpful. Thank you so much, I wasn't even expecting this level of support!