AboutPaola Expertise I love English and Italian is my mother tongue. I am particularly fond of precision in translation, and I always try to pay attention not only in giving the correct correspondance to words but also to render the sense of what I translate.
Experience I took and passed Cambridge University Proficiency in English as a Foreign Language examination. I have always been reading romances in English and English literature. Being an Engineer I also have a wide technical vocabulary, especially regarding environmental, civil and construction engineering.
Education/Credentials Cambridge University - Proficency in English as a Foreign Language
MS degree in Environmental Engineering
Question I have tried to find a comprehensive list of occasions when the definite article is omittted in Italian. It is easy to find a basic list but not one regarding the omission before generic nouns, etc. Can you help me , please?
Ciao, Lucy.
Answer Ciao Lucy,
I am not aware of a general rule to be applied. what I can tell you for sure is that in Italian we use the definite article a lot, on the contrary in English you use it only if you have already specified what you are referring to.
Just an example, to be clearer
LA MAMMA MI HA DETTO DI ANDARE
Mum told me to go
HO MANGIATO IL GELATO
I ate an icecream
(Ho mangiato un gelato here is also suitable, but it is perfectly all right to use the definite article also)
