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Italian Language/Questions Answered by Expert Lauren O' Hagan
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Di+articolo determinativo vs. Un po' di? | 1/31/2012 |
| Q: My question is regarding Il partitivo. I am a bit confused on when it is best to use 'di+ articolo ... A: The general rule is that the partitive is used to indicate imprecise or approximate quantities. Its ... | |
| wedding invitation | 1/30/2012 |
| Q: I have composed my italian wedding invitation but am not sure if it is gramatically correct can you ... A: There are just a few things to tweak. The message is: Angela cara, ( name of the bride) e ( name ... | |
| forms of the italian passivant. | 1/26/2012 |
| Q: I would be grateful if you could enlighten me on the italian passivant. Specifically, the usage and ... A: There are various usages of the passivant tense in Italian. In the first example that you have ... | |
| follow-up to "bene", "buono". | 1/23/2012 |
| Q: What is the difference in meaning of the words "bene" and "buona" and how does one know when it is ... A: To express that something that is good in general, Italians would actually tend to use 'bello' ... | |
| use of "bene", "buona" | 1/22/2012 |
| Q: What is the difference in meaning of the words "bene" and "buona" and how does one know when it is ... A: Buono is an adjective that expresses a positive judgment, usually referring to the aspect of the ... | |
| "straight" vs "straight on" | 1/14/2012 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there is any difference between saying "straight" and saying "straight on" ... A: No, there is no distinction between the two terms in Italian so 'andare diritto' will be used for ... | |
| Italian word "lo" | 1/12/2012 |
| Q: I currently learning Italian on my own . I'm fom Romania , and romanian language is very closely ... A: The point of 'lo' in this sentence is translated as the word 'it' in English. It is used as a ... | |
| translate from english to italian | 1/9/2012 |
| Q: Received all the 9 photos of the entire family and brought back memories. Daniel is sure handsome ... A: The translation is: Cara Elisa, Ho ricevuto tutte le 9 foto della famiglia e mi è tornato tutto ... | |
| "exponent" number | 1/8/2012 |
| Q: I had asked another expert this question, but was not able to understand the answer. I hope you ... A: As far as I know, the exponent number is the apartment number. As you may know, in Italy (as in ... | |
| Tre Metri Sopra Il Cielo translation | 1/8/2012 |
| Q: I saw in your "Experience" section that you have translated Federico Moccia's Tre Metri Sopra Il ... A: I am afraid that my translation of Tre Metri Sopra Il Cielo is just something that I have carried ... | |
| How to use 'mica' and examples | 12/18/2011 |
| Q: Could you please explain for me how to use mica and any handy examples you have? I'm totally ... A: Mica is best translated as 'at all' such as 'I do not believe him at all' which would translate into ... | |
| translation | 11/26/2011 |
| Q: I have another translation question! I want to say "I will adapt the designs to you and your needs" ... A: The best way to say that sentence would be: Adatterò i designi alle tue esigenze. You could also ... | |
| addressing women | 11/23/2011 |
| Q: Two simple questions. First, has an Italian version of Ms. been established? Second, at what age ... A: Firstly, no, there is no specific way in Italian to say Ms. Instead, signora would simply be used. ... | |
| use of "desiderare" | 11/7/2011 |
| Q: Will you please help me with the verb “desiderare”. I am trying to understand why a waiter uses ... A: The example that you have just shown me is one of those set expressions in Italian that cannot be ... | |
| use of "ne" | 11/6/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me of “ne” can be used to refer to something that was not actually spoken about, ... A: Although usually 'ne' is used to refer to something that has been aforementioned, in this case it ... | |
| "ai" and/or "con" | 10/21/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if it would be equally grammatically correct to say both: “pizza ai frutti ... A: Yes, both these expressions could be used but be careful as their meanings are slightly different. ... | |
| use of "all'italiana" | 10/19/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the phrase “pizza all’italiana” that I recently encountered in my computer ... A: Yes the correct translation would be 'Italian style'. Al is used a lot in Italian after a noun to ... | |
| Toast | 10/18/2011 |
| Q: the Italian toast of "May you live for a Hundred Years" with pronunciation. Also is Cin Cin ... A: The way to say this toast is: "Che voi viviate fino a centi anni!" The pronunciation is: ... | |
| Italian pronunciation sites | 10/16/2011 |
| Q: Some time ago you gave me the address for two computer sites where I could listen to the ... A: I am really sorry but I am afraid I don't remember the exact links that I gave you. The only thing I ... | |
| use of "non" | 10/8/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the Italian adverb “non” can be translated as the English adverb “no”? ... A: In this aspect, Italian is different to English. Whereas here we could simply say 'no more milk' and ... | |
| verb pronunciation | 10/1/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the pronunciation of the verb form - "piangiamo" (we cry) - the first person ... A: Sorry for taking longer than usual to reply. Yes in the majority of verbs, giamo will be pronounced ... | |
| verb pronunciation | 10/1/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the pronunciation of the verb form - "piangiamo" (we cry) - the first person ... A: The pronunciation of the ending would be 'jeah-mo' so when said slowly it would sound like this. ... | |
| parsing | 9/25/2011 |
| Q: Hi Lauren – I hope all is well with you. My question is about the construction: "non…neanche" as ... A: Yes you are correct. The same reasoning would apply to 'non...mica' as it follows the same ... | |
| parsing | 9/24/2011 |
| Q: Hi Lauren – I hope all is well with you. My question is about the construction: "non…neanche" as ... A: All is very well with me thank you - I just got a promotion at work to manager :) As for your ... | |
| nessuno as pronoun | 9/4/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me which forms of "nessuno" exist as a pronoun. I was once told that only ... A: Yes you are correct with what you stated. Nessun can also be used and this is typically found with ... | |
| nessuno | 9/4/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there is a different way to say "anyone" and "not anyone" by using ... A: Please excuse me - that was me making a typing error in my previous post. The correct way to say ... | |
| use of pronoun "nessuno" | 9/3/2011 |
| Q: When I was studying about the pronoun "nessuno" – I came across the expression: "no-one". I am ... A: Yes indeed nessuno is also used to express 'no-one' or 'anyone' In your example, 'non ho visto ... | |
| use of nessuno | 9/3/2011 |
| Q: I have been trying to better understand the adjective "nessuno". In order to test my ... A: Your understanding of nessuno seems clear to me. All the sentences you have shown me are correct - ... | |
| definite article | 9/3/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence that I found in my computer course: "Pietro non è mio ... A: Even though the person is clearly stating that Pietro is not her husband, husband is one of the ... | |
| passive and reflexive | 8/31/2011 |
| Q: I have been learning Italian for over 4 years and have always struggled with this. I understand the ... A: I understand your concern - it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between when the passive is ... | |
| translate to english | 8/10/2011 |
| Q: ciao,abbiamo telrfonato in negozio e i hanno detto che il sapone ce l'hanno ma non lo spediscono. ... A: The translation is as follows: Hi, We phoned the shop and they told us that they do have the soap ... | |
| per favore and per piacere | 8/7/2011 |
| Q: Are the expressions "per favore" and "per piacere" used interchangeably? Or, is there a difference ... A: Per piacere and per favore are both expressions that mean exactly the same thing. They are used when ... | |
| meaning of "questo" | 8/2/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following sentence that I found in my computer course: "Abbiamo ... A: I am afraid this is another usage of when Italian differs quite radically with English. Although ... | |
| Venvenuti | 7/24/2011 |
| Q: ..There are a few lines of Italian in the play "Amadeus," that the character Mozart speaks, and ... A: Yes the translation is indeed 'a thousand million welcomes' - literally 'a very large welcome' to ... | |
| Translation | 7/24/2011 |
| Q: While I'm slowing learning Italian - I'm not comfortable with writing my future mother in law in ... A: The translation is as follows: Signora Cestra, Volevo prendere il tempo per informarla che i miei ... | |
| Italian Birthday Card & Message | 7/14/2011 |
| Q: Can you please translate the following into Italian for me? It's for my aunt who I just saw ... A: The translation is as follows: Ero estremamente felice di vederti di nuovo dopo tanti anni. Sono ... | |
| translate to english | 7/13/2011 |
| Q: received your singing birthday card.it was beautiful and signed by everyone.thank you for thinking ... A: The translation is: Hello my lovelies, I am looking for the soap but do you have by chance the exact ... | |
| use of "ne" | 7/12/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the pronoun "ne" can be used to mean "it" and "them" as shown in the ... A: In the examples you have given, I am afraid it wouldn't be acceptable to use 'ne' Ne is a ... | |
| absolute superlative | 7/11/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me there are any special placement rules for the absolute superlative form of ... A: Nice to hear from you again! To be honest, there is no strict rule stating in what position to put ... | |
| translate to english | 7/4/2011 |
| Q: received your singing birthday card.it was beautiful and signed by everyone.thank you for thinking ... A: The translation is: Hi, I've received all your emails, sorry for not writing to you sooner. We are ... | |
| translate to italian | 6/24/2011 |
| Q: received your singing birthday card.it was beautiful and signed by everyone.thank you for thinking ... A: The translation is as follows: Care Elisa e Emma, Abbiamo ricevuto il vostro biglietto di ... | |
| father of the groom speech/toast | 6/20/2011 |
| Q: I am the father of the groom at an Irish Italian informal wedding on Thursday, until now I was told ... A: The translation is as follows: Cari amici e famiglia, Con una gioia immensa, do il benvenuto a Kiera ... | |
| Noun from verb | 6/6/2011 |
| Q: I cannot fathom out if there is a simple way or a specific rule to derive the noun form from verbs. ... A: Unfortunately, there is no specific rule that exists when trying to derive the noun form of a word ... | |
| che as interrogative pronoun | 6/3/2011 |
| Q: If someone said something to me, and I did not completely hear or understand, would it be acceptable ... A: Yes it would be perfectly acceptable. It was something that I first found strange in both Italian ... | |
| adverb | 6/3/2011 |
| Q: A while back I asked you the following question which I have copied and pasted below: Expert: ... A: I meant that the adverb 'solo' can sometimes mean alone. This is when it is placed at the end of the ... | |
| use of "che" | 6/1/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the use of the word "che?" in the following dialogue taken ... A: Che is actually being used as an interrogative pronoun here. It seems to me that the priest is ... | |
| use of "omaggio" | 5/28/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the word "omaggio" My dictionary has an entry for "omaggio" as both a noun and ... A: Yes it is quite curious that omaggio can be both a noun and an adjective. It is true that it is ... | |
| italian idiom | 5/25/2011 |
| Q: Do you know what "stare sulle scatole" means? Thank you so much! A: Yes I do :) This is an idiom used to describe a situation where a person is left to feel ... | |
| use of "prendere" | 5/24/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand the following sentence: "Oggi, per il piatto del giorno ... A: Prendere is the incorrect verb in this case - prendere is used when somebody is making a decision ... | |
| use of "dispiacere" | 5/23/2011 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following translations are correct or not: Mi dispiace. = I am ... A: Yes, both of your translations are correct. I understand how it can be confusing because as you have ... | |
| indefinite pronouns | 5/22/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me with the following question about the indefinite pronoun "tutto" that means ... A: I can understand how tutto can be confusing given that it is an indefinite pronoun, however when you ... | |
| suffix "one" | 5/18/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the pronunciation of the suffix "one" that indicates "largeness" Can you ... A: Yes, regardless of whether it is masculine or feminine, singular or plural, the e will be pronounced ... | |
| cello | 5/18/2011 |
| Q: This information has helped me very much. I hope that you will not mind one more question. Can you ... A: In regards to your question, I cannot give you an 100% certain answer but I would take an educated ... | |
| cello | 5/17/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if when the suffix "cello" is added to a word, if the accent will always move ... A: Yes, this is correct. As you have already stated, in the word 'verme' the stress will be placed at ... | |
| cello | 5/17/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the suffix "cello" have the following 4 forms: -cello masculine, ... A: Yes, it is true that 4 different forms occur. This is due to the masculine and feminine singular and ... | |
| "sugo" or "sugo di pomodoro" | 5/15/2011 |
| Q: Can you please explain why Italians sometimes say "sugo" for "tomato sauce" and at other times they ... A: Yes you have got this correct. The right way to say tomato sauce is 'sugo di pomodoro.' However in a ... | |
| "sugo" or "succo" | 5/15/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the word "sugo" is ever used to say "juice" in Italian. I used to think ... A: Yes, you are correct in thinking that you can also use the word 'sugo' to mean juice in Italy. What ... | |
| Va bene or Prego | 5/12/2011 |
| Q: Lauren, I'm a bit confused over the use of va bene and prego. Say someone bumped into me and said ... A: In the situation of somebody bumping into you and saying 'scusi' your reply would actually be 'non ... | |
| use of "Va bene?" | 5/9/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if Italians ever just say "Va bene?" to ask "Is everything all right?" I was ... A: Va bene has a slightly different meaning. It actually just means 'ok' or 'alright' - it is used in ... | |
| use of "tutto" | 5/8/2011 |
| Q: This is the very last time I will bother you about "Va tutto bene?" Can you please tell me if it ... A: You really should have more confidence in yourself :) Usually, what you are thinking is correct and ... | |
| va tutto bene? | 5/8/2011 |
| Q: Your answers have helped me very much. I hope you will not mind helping me again. Do Italians ever ... A: Yes in fact, in a normal everyday informal situation in Italy, tutto bene will be heard all the ... | |
| tutto | 5/7/2011 |
| Q: I guess I don't understand how to place the pronoun "tutto" in sentences. I hope you will not mind ... A: Unfortunately, there are no specific guidelines that I can give you in regards to 'tutto' as its ... | |
| use of "va bene" | 5/6/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the expression "va bene". In the past, I have learned that "va ... A: Yes, va bene does mean ok or all right but when it is used in an expression such as 'va tutto bene' ... | |
| use of "da" before the infinitive "bere" | 5/3/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following statement that I found in my computer course about Italian: "Da ... A: 'Da bere' is simply the shortened version of 'qualcosa da bere?' Da is a preposition that is seen ... | |
| cheque | 5/3/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the word "cheque" is used in Italy for the American word "check" (a ... A: Yes, in Italy 'cheque' is used to mean what the American word 'check' is. The actual correct way is ... | |
| nouns | 5/1/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the gender of names for drinks in Italian. Can you please tell me if the ... A: I had a lovely break thank you - now it's back to work again! As for your question, yes you are ... | |
| translation | 4/13/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me with the following sentence: "la mia amica ci farà entrare gratuitamente" ... A: Yes the sentence does mean 'my friend will let us in for free.' Fare entrare is indeed an ... | |
| use of "prendi" | 3/24/2011 |
| Q: I recently came across the following Italian sentences, and their translations, in my computer ... A: Yes you are correct. They are two very similar sentences yet the stress that is made on them will ... | |
| si sente | 3/17/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the use of "si sente" in the following sentence: "Si sente ... A: Yes, you are correct. The si impersonal is being used in this sentence to express an impersonal ... | |
| Arrivederci! | 3/14/2011 |
| Q: I have a question regarding the word "arrivederci"! Is it a formal expression or an informal ... A: Arrivederci is a very versatile expression. It is definitely the option that you would use in a ... | |
| meaning of "SS" in church names | 3/12/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what SS stands for in church names such as Chiesa della SS Annunziata. I ... A: Yes you are correct. This is a common abbreviation that is seen very often in Italy. SS means ... | |
| ne and adjectives | 3/9/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the use of adjectives with the pronoun "ne". Can you please tell me if ... A: Yes that is perfectly correct. Ne can be followed by various adectives - the examples that you have ... | |
| use of ne | 3/8/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if "ne" would be elided before "ho" and "abbiamo" as shown in the following ... A: This is a difficult case as in these two cases, you would usually tend to write ne as using n' seems ... | |
| c'è and ne | 3/8/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if it is possible to use the elided form c'è with the pronoun ne in the ... A: As the ce and the e' are being seperated in this case, you will simply elide the ne instead so the ... | |
| comparatives with piacere | 3/7/2011 |
| Q: Ciao, Lauren--I am confused about when to use piu'...di or piu'...che with the verb piacere. Which ... A: Piu can be used with both di and che. Di is used when comparing two different things with respect ... | |
| Correction | 3/7/2011 |
| Q: Good Morning Lauren: I’d greatly appreciate if you correct the mistakes in the lyrics of the song ... A: The corrections go: Da me contratti un attimo e chiederti se dirmi come stai Poter guardare gli ... | |
| pronouns | 3/6/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the placement of an object pronoun in a sentence when a subject pronoun is also ... A: Yes it is acceptable to place the subject pronoun at the end of the sentence even if it is in the ... | |
| pronouns | 3/4/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the placement of an object pronoun in a sentence when a subject pronoun is also ... A: If you really wanted to emphasise the tu or perhaps the person was feeling a little frustrated, then ... | |
| pronouns | 3/4/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the placement of an object pronoun in a sentence when a subject pronoun is also ... A: Yes you are correct in thinking this. An object pronoun will always be placed in between the ... | |
| translation | 3/2/2011 |
| Q: I've always wanted to ask about the following: Roma Roma bella...t'ho dipinta io Gialla come er ... A: Yes of course. These are beautiful lyrics that mean 'Beautiful beautiful Rome I painted you, yellow ... | |
| giorno vs giornata | 3/1/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what the difference is between the masculine noun "giorno" and the feminine ... A: This is quite difficult to explain as these two words are usually understood by their context but I ... | |
| use of adjectives | 2/27/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me with the following conversation between a customer and a store clerk: ... A: Yes these sentences are both totally correct. However, as I said in the previous message, it would ... | |
| use of adjectives | 2/25/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me with the following conversation between a customer and a store clerk: ... A: The reason that these colours are shown in the masculine form is because although they seem like ... | |
| dovere | 2/23/2011 |
| Q: Can you please explain why the verb "dovere" does not have an imperative form. Thank you. ... A: The simple reason is the fact that not even in English would we use the imperative construction for ... | |
| adverb | 2/18/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the placement of an adverb that modifies another adverb. Can you please tell ... A: Although it wouldn't be strictly incorrect to place the adverb at the end of sentence, it flows much ... | |
| Pronunciation of a proper name | 2/6/2011 |
| Q: I'm a violin compulsive and have always wondered how to pronounce the name of the first great ... A: I will try to break it down into English pronunciation as best as possible: Ignazio (IG-NAZI-0H) ... | |
| adjectives | 2/3/2011 |
| Q: I hope that you will not mind one more question about the use of prepositions with adjectives. Can ... A: Even though adjectives will be followed by particular preposition, it doesn't necessarily mean that ... | |
| use of "addetto" | 2/2/2011 |
| Q: again, for all the help you give me. I hope you know how much I appreciate having the opportunity ... A: Addetto in this case cannot actually be classed as a modifier because it is not specifically ... | |
| addirsi | 2/1/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the verb "addirsi" I looked this verb up in my dictionary and found ... A: Addirsi would translate as 'to suit' or 'to be suitable for' This verb is a defective verb - this ... | |
| use of di | 2/1/2011 |
| Q: Sorry to bother you again. I am wondering about the use of the preposition "di" in the following ... A: Di is the correct translation here. This is because when the person is referring to being in charge ... | |
| addetto | 2/1/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the word "addetto" in the following sentence: Sono addetto al marketing di una ... A: I'm sorry - maybe I didn't word myself correctly.I wouldn't exactly call it a rule as sadly, it is ... | |
| addetto | 1/31/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the word "addetto" in the following sentence: Sono addetto al marketing di una ... A: In the example you hae given me, addetto plays the job of an adjective. It would not make sense as a ... | |
| lavoro or affari | 1/26/2011 |
| Q: I recently encountered the following sentence: "Sta qui per lavoro?" which was translated as "Are ... A: To be honest this sentence can be translated either way. The sentence probably uses 'business' as it ... | |
| on | 1/25/2011 |
| Q: I have been trying to better understand how to say "on" in Italian. Can you please tell me if the ... A: On is commonly expressed with 'in' or 'su.' Su is usually used when it is referring to physical ... | |
| prepositions | 1/25/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the Italian preposition "in" in the following expressions: "in ... A: Although 'essere' is the most common verb to be accompanied by the preposition 'in' and then the ... | |
| affare | 1/25/2011 |
| Q: again, for your help with my question about the meaning of the word "affare". Would you please tell ... A: I know it is quite confusing but although affari does mean business in the enterprise sense it would ... | |
| affare | 1/24/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the Italian word "affare" I looked this word up in my dictionary, but I am ... A: Affare is one of those words that can mean various things in Italian. First and foremost, it can ... | |
| accented vowels | 1/24/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if it is true that "Italian nouns that end in an accented vowel" are always ... A: Yes it is true that Italians nouns that end in an accented vowel are always invariable in number. ... | |
| Translation | 1/21/2011 |
| Q: I wrote down the lyrics to this beautiful Italian song called Adesso Basta (sang by Sonia De ... A: Is it possible to send me a clip of this song because I have spent a great deal of time looking for ... | |
| use of buonasera | 1/20/2011 |
| Q: Could you please help me with the following dialogue that came from a computer course that I am ... A: In the example you have given me, buonasera is simply acting as an icebreaker to say hello to the ... | |
| invariable | 1/19/2011 |
| Q: I am starting to get a bit mixed up about the use of the word "invariable" with Italian words. Can ... A: Yes invariable can refer to a variety of things. You are correct in assuming that it can refer to a ... | |
| number | 1/19/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if it is true that "Italian nouns that in a consonant" are always invariable ... A: Yes you are totally correct. This is usually because the words that end in a consonant are not ... | |
| "farcela" | 1/17/2011 |
| Q: I have seen this sentence : Non puo' farcela senza di te. (He cant do this without you) Why isnt ... A: Farcela is slightly more than just 'to do' - rather it means 'to make it' in the sense of 'to get by ... | |
| possessive pronouns | 1/17/2011 |
| Q: I was recently reading about Italian possessive pronouns and read that the definite article is ... A: Yes you are correct. The definite article is not necessary before a possessive pronoun with the verb ... | |
| pronunciation | 1/17/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the "s" in the plural Italian word "cose" (things) is pronounced the ... A: Yes the s in the plural form is pronounced exactly the same as in the singular gorm. This is a ... | |
| use of "ecco" | 1/17/2011 |
| Q: I hope you will not mind another similar question about the use of "ecco". I need to ask because I ... A: The answer will be basically the same as the previous question I have just responded to. The use of ... | |
| use of "ecco" | 1/17/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me to make sure that I understand how to correctly translate the following: ... A: Ecco Pietro is simply as you said 'Here's Peter.' You will see this in typical situations such as ... | |
| Qua & Qui | 1/16/2011 |
| Q: I have been wondering whats the difference between qua and qui... Where to use which? Some examples ... A: Qui and Qua are 100% interchangeable nowadays and have the function of simply meaning 'here' In the ... | |
| Italian use of Gerundio | 1/15/2011 |
| Q: I too am have having some trouble with this tense. How would the following be translated: Dovendo ... A: Yes you are right. This would change the translation quite a bit. The sentence would actually mean: ... | |
| placement of reflexive pronouns | 1/14/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if reflexive pronouns placed between "non" and the verb? For example: Mi ... A: Yes, with a reflexive pronoun in the negative form, you will always put the 'non' at the beginning ... | |
| reflexive pronouns | 1/14/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if a reflexive pronoun is considered to be an object pronoun? Thank you. ... A: Yes, usually reflexive pronouns will be classified as object pronouns because it is normally their ... | |
| reciprocal verbs | 1/14/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if Italian Reciprocal Pronouns are a separate category of pronouns than ... A: The most common way is to classify the reciprocal pronouns and the reflexive ones under the same ... | |
| Italian use of Gerundio | 1/13/2011 |
| Q: I too am have having some trouble with this tense. How would the following be translated: Dovendo ... A: The translating would be: Having spoken about the festival and knowing St Agatha's story well. I ... | |
| The word : "ci" and its many uses?? | 1/13/2011 |
| Q: I have been studying Italian by watching series with subtitles and came up with some phrases or ... A: Yes, ci is one of the tricky constructions in Italian and takes a lot of practice to get the usage ... | |
| the Italian word | 1/13/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the Italian word "ex" is a preposition or if it is a prefix. My Garzanti ... A: Normally, ex doesn't need a hyphen after it in Italian. In all the examples I have seen it has not ... | |
| the Italian word "ex" | 1/13/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the Italian word "ex" is a preposition or if it is a prefix. My Garzanti ... A: In the Italian language, the primary use of 'ex' is as a prefix. This is seen in many examples ... | |
| pronunciation | 1/11/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me with the pronunciation of the following Italian names: Michele (Michael) ... A: The two names are indeed pronounced with closed 'e's. I am sorry if you had thought otherwise before ... | |
| islands | 1/8/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if it is true that all the names for Italian islands are feminine nouns? For ... A: As far as I know, yes, Italian islands will be classed as feminine and this will also be the case ... | |
| pronunciation | 1/7/2011 |
| Q: If an Italian name is spelled exactly like another word in Italian, can I assume that both words ... A: Yes usually if the Italian name is spelled exactly like another word in the language, then they will ... | |
| Piedmonte | 1/5/2011 |
| Q: Is there any way you could describe to me how to pronounce "Piedmonte" (the Italian region)? I ... A: To put the syllables in a English way, you would pronounce it: PEA - ED - MONT - AY The stress will ... | |
| translation from english to italian | 1/4/2011 |
| Q: received your e-mail we are excited about your coming will you be arriving on august 24th? and who ... A: The translation is as follows: Cari Elisa, Emma, Songia, Antonio, Marko, Yvonne, Carola, Naomi e ... | |
| ci | 12/16/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the word “ci”. In my studies about the pronoun “ne”, I encountered some ... A: The word 'ci' can be used as an adverb to mean 'there' and this can also be placed with other ... | |
| ne | 12/14/2010 |
| Q: I have been having a difficult time understanding the translation of the pronominal particle “ne”. ... A: The translation for 'ne' will change depending on the context. Therefore it can mean 'some' 'some of ... | |
| pronominal particles | 12/14/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what is meant by an Italian “pronominal particle” I was trying to learn ... A: A pronominal particle is simply a word that replaces a noun. For example, in English if you say ... | |
| dare | 12/13/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the tu form in the imperative mood of the verb “dare”. I have found the tu ... A: This is one of these cases when anyone of the three forms is correct. Some verbs in Italian tend to ... | |
| un pò di | 12/13/2010 |
| Q: I have been wondering why Italians sometimes say “un pò di” and other times they say “un pò” I have ... A: Yes you've got it completely right. Un po' di is always used when you have a noun that follows it: ... | |
| reciprocal verbs | 12/10/2010 |
| Q: My question is about “reciprocal verbs” Can any reflexive verbs become reciprocal if 2 or more ... A: Yes that's right - to be used reciprocally, an Italian verb must represent an action for two people ... | |
| reciprocal verbs | 12/10/2010 |
| Q: My question is about “reciprocal verbs” Can any reflexive verbs become reciprocal if 2 or more ... A: I wouldn't necessary use the tag of any reflexive verbs becoming reciprocal but rather looking more ... | |
| "pensione" | 11/12/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me to better understand the word “pensione” My dictionary says that “pensione” ... A: Yes pensione is a feminine noun that means pension but it almost means 'board' in the sense of ... | |
| azienda | 11/10/2010 |
| Q: I recently came across the word “Azienda di Turismo” in my computer course. The computer course ... A: It is hard to not think literally but it is really necessary not to to fully comprehend a phrase: ... | |
| dovere | 9/30/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the present indicative conjugation of the verb “dovere” My conjugation book ... A: Yes they are alternate forms that can be used when using dovere int he present tense. However they ... | |
| dimenticare/dimenticarsi | 9/29/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what is the difference in meaning is between “dimenticare” and ... A: Yes the translations are all correct. When you are using 'dimenticarsi' to talk about leaving an ... | |
| dimenticarsi | 9/29/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if “dimenticarsi” is an “intransitive” pronominal verb or if it is a ... A: Although most reflexive verbs are classed as intransitive, dimenticarsi is a transitive pronominal ... | |
| vr vip | 9/28/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me why some reflexive verbs are listed as “vip” in my dictionary and other ... A: Yes it seems that VR stans for verbo reflessivo whereas VIP refers to intransitive reflexive verbs. ... | |
| pronominal verb | 9/28/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what a “pronominal verb” is? Does this type of verb exist in both Italian ... A: A pronominal verb is a verb that is accompanied by a reflexive pronoun. Pronominal verbs usually ... | |
| dimenticare/dimenticarsi | 9/28/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what is the difference in meaning is between “dimenticare” and ... A: Dimenticare is a transitive verb that take the auxilary avere whereas dimenticarsi is a transitive ... | |
| pronunciation | 9/26/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the “aiu” in words like “aiuto” and “aiutare” are pronounced the same way ... A: You are correct in what you say. The way you pronounce such sounds would be I-00. Therefore ... | |
| I.D. | 9/25/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand if there is any difference between “documento” and “carta ... A: Carta d'identitá should not be used when handing over a document such as driver's license etc. The ... | |
| room | 9/25/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the difference between the words “camera” and “stanza”. I was once told that ... A: That's not a problem. I meant that 'camera' would be best when referring to a bedroom in a house but ... | |
| room | 9/24/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the difference between the words “camera” and “stanza”. I was once told that ... A: Overall, it is true that stanza and camera mean a room. However in general, a 'camera' is almost ... | |
| orto vs giardino | 9/23/2010 |
| Q: Sorry to bother you again. I have the same question about “orto” vs “giardino” in regards to the ... A: Whenever there are public gardens in Italy, although they can be seen as giardini pubblici, it is ... | |
| saying "fugitive" in Italian | 9/23/2010 |
| Q: I was recently reading about ‘L’orto dei Fuggiaschi” (Garden of the Fugitives) at Pompeii and I got ... A: To be honest there is no real difference between the two words. They are synonyms of each ... | |
| translation | 9/22/2010 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the correct translation of “un biglietto integrato a tempo” is “an ... A: It is simply translated as an 'integrated time ticket' meaning that it is a common ticket and can ... | |
| campi flegrei | 9/22/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the name “Campi Flegrei”. I was reading about this volcanic area that is ... A: You may or may not know that many years ago before the Romans were even there, the South of Italy ... | |
| past participles | 9/20/2010 |
| Q: My question is about Italian “past participles”. I am starting to get confused because sometimes I ... A: Sometimes you will find that a dictionary will not label both the adjective and the past participle ... | |
| buses | 9/20/2010 |
| Q: Would you please answer one more question about buses? I have read that “un servizio notturno” ... A: There is no need to state the word bus in this sentence as there would be a common understanding in ... | |
| Italian buses | 9/20/2010 |
| Q: Sorry to bother you again. I have been doing some more reading about Italian buses and wanted to ... A: I don't know if it stands the same for every city but from my knowledge of the cities that I have ... | |
| bus words | 9/20/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the use of the terms “autobus”, “corriera”, and “pullman”. Are these ... A: In Italian there are simply just several ways of saying the one word bus. Although there is no ... | |
| popolo vs gente | 9/17/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what the difference is between “popolo” and “gente” when saying “people”? ... A: Popolo is a much older and political way of calling a group of people. It is likely to refer to the ... | |
| avere vs prendere | 9/17/2010 |
| Q: Is there any difference in meaning between using “avere” to say “to have’ and using “prendere” to ... A: The correct way to have a coffee in Italy is to say 'prendere un caffe.' Contrary to popular belief, ... | |
| piazze | 9/17/2010 |
| Q: I keep having a hard time remembering how to correctly say the names of the many “piazze” in Italy. ... A: For a start, you have to try and think of street names as something totally seperate from the ... | |
| use of subjunctive | 9/17/2010 |
| Q: I have been studying the phrase - “permetta che mi presenti” (allow me to introduce myself) that I ... A: I'm afraid that in this case, the computer's example is the only correct one: 'permetta che mi ... | |
| più with modal verbs | 9/15/2010 |
| Q: I was once instructed that “più” should be placed after the verb in a negative construction that is ... A: Despite the modal verb and infinitive being put together, the piu must still remain after the first ... | |
| subject pronouns | 9/14/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the placement of subject pronouns. I understand that the general rule for the ... A: Still in this case it will follow the same rule and the 'lei' will come before the verbs so 'Lei ... | |
| qui and qua | 9/14/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there are any special guidelines for knowing where to place the adverbs ... A: Although it wouldn't be strictly wrong, it does sound a lot more natural to place the 'qui' at the ... | |
| use of | 9/13/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the adjective “felice” must be located before “mia moglie” as shown in the ... A: There is no specific way to remember this unfortunately. The best thing to do would be to think of ... | |
| use of "felice" | 9/13/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the adjective “felice” must be located before “mia moglie” as shown in the ... A: The only way that would properly make sense to an Italian is if you keep the 'far felice' together. ... | |
| ecco qui | 9/8/2010 |
| Q: Can you please explain the phrase “ecco qui” to me. I don’t understand what the difference is ... A: The two phrases 'ecco' and 'ecco qui' mean more or less the same thing. However ecco is a very ... | |
| city centre | 9/5/2010 |
| Q: I recently encountered the term “centro città” which I believe means “city center”. Being from ... A: Yes in England we use 'city centre' for the American term 'downtown.' Nobody in England will ever ... | |
| follow up | 9/1/2010 |
| Q: [1] Can you please tell me why the adverb “lì” is used in the following sentence: “La linea quattro ... A: Yes 'ci' is used with 'essere' to mean here or there in a general sense but remember that it doesn't ... | |
| lì là or ci | 8/31/2010 |
| Q: If “lì” and “là” and “ci” are all adverbs that mean “there”, how does an Italian decide which one of ... A: On personal experience, it is much more natural for an Italian to use 'ci' when he is using a verb ... | |
| use of "li" | 8/31/2010 |
| Q: [1] Can you please tell me why the adverb “lì” is used in the following sentence: “La linea quattro ... A: The use of li in this sentence is very common. It is simply because although the line is here in ... | |
| Italian | 8/30/2010 |
| Q: Our son is in Italy doing a 3 month internship at a winery! He will be celebrating his 25th ... A: One idea could be: Buon compleanno. Ti auguriamo di passare una splendida giornata. (Happy birthday. ... | |
| use of definite article | 8/27/2010 |
| Q: I found the following dialogue in an on-line course that I am using to study Italian. I am trying ... A: The answer simply is that in Italian you must define things a lot more than in English. If the ... | |
| use of | 8/27/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand how to include the word “centesimo” when talking about how much ... A: No, 'soldo' simply means a coin. It doesn't specifically mean a cent - it can be of any currency. ... | |
| use of "centesimo" | 8/27/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand how to include the word “centesimo” when talking about how much ... A: Yes Italians do say 'centesimo' - this is their word for 'cent.' Cent is written on the coin as a ... | |
| use of "Santo Spirito" | 8/22/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand why Italians use “Santo Spirito” in the names of churches ... A: Yes, this is just a matter of exception. Although normally it would be placed after the verb, I ... | |
| casa di Totti | 8/22/2010 |
| Q: I have recently encountered the following sentence: “Quella è la casa di Totti.” I am trying to ... A: I imagine that this is just an example to mean 'Totti's house' as Francesco Totti is a very famous ... | |
| santo | 8/19/2010 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have the following correct: The adjective “santo” means “saint” when ... A: Yes it is true that 'santo' has several forms when put before a noun. San is used for mascline ... | |
| strada, corso, via, viale | 8/17/2010 |
| Q: Can you please explain “how to use” or “what the difference is” between the following terms: ... A: Strada would be the equivalent 'road' or 'street' in English however you wouldn't see this written ... | |
| sono tre euro | 8/16/2010 |
| Q: I hope that you will not mind another question. I am trying to understand the following statement ... A: The correct translation of 'sono tre euro' would simply be something like 'that's 3 euros please' ... | |
| e tutto | 8/16/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the expression “È tutto” in the following dialogue between a ... A: Yes 'e' tutto' does indeed mean 'that's all.' Yes, Italian waiters do actually use this expression. ... | |
| use of preposition "a" | 8/15/2010 |
| Q: Would you please translate the following for me: aranciata - bevanda a base di succo d'arancia ... A: Aranciata is simply 'orange juice.' Therefore the dictionary is basically stating that orange juice ... | |
| colazione | 8/15/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what the difference is between "colazione" and "la prima colazione" It ... A: To be honest, there isn't a difference between the two words. Fundamentally , both are used however ... | |
| Ways to say 'Please' | 8/4/2010 |
| Q: Can you help me understand gradations in formality or cordiality between prego, per favore, per ... A: Italian differs to English in the way that although there are different gradations of formality ... | |
| meaning of "caldo" | 8/2/2010 |
| Q: I understand that the adjective "caldo" means "warm" in terms of temperature. Can you please tell ... A: The best way to explain this would be that when referring to the weather, caldo means warm. It is ... | |
| Family Bereavement | 6/14/2010 |
| Q: Could you translate this message into Italian for me as soon as possible Dear Mario You have not ... A: The translation is: Caro Mario, Non sono stata io a dirtelo, ma ho pensato che avresti voluto ... | |
| translate to italian | 6/11/2010 |
| Q: Elisa We know that you have called 3 times and have not been able to answer.We are back home after ... A: The translation is as follows: Elisa, Sappiamo che hai chiamato tre volte e non ti abbiamo ... | |
| prego | 6/7/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the correct way to pronounce the word "prego" Several of my dictionaries ... A: I can understand your frustration. Although computer programs can be accurate, they are never going ... | |
| ghost writer | 6/3/2010 |
| Q: I have two queries. And I need your help. How do you say "ghost writer" in Italian? Could you ... A: Ghostwriter is 'negro' but it is also becoming increasingly popular to hear 'ghostwriter' itself ... | |
| when to say "risi" | 5/6/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand when to use the plural word for rice - "risi" instead of using ... A: As I have explained to you before, it is true that normally 'riso' is referring to rice in general ... | |
| Coming and Going | 4/16/2010 |
| Q: I am doing some exercises regarding coming and going and am not sure which verb to use - ... A: Andare is used when you are actually going to a place. E.g Vado in chiesa Venire is normally used ... | |
| pronunciation | 4/9/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me with the pronunciation of “chio” in words like “chiocciola”, “vecchio”, and ... A: Long time no see! Hope you are ok? Anyway, in regards to your question, you are completely correct. ... | |
| quando/come usare "dedicarsi a" or "occuparsi di" | 3/12/2010 |
| Q: pls could you tell me when to use dedicarsi a and when to use occuparsi di? I find it all rather ... A: Dedicarsi a is used when you are dedicating or committing yourself to do something for somebody. E.g ... | |
| lyric translation | 3/10/2010 |
| Q: I was dedicated a song my my favorite artist tiziano ferro. i normally listen to him in italian or ... A: The translation is as follows: One is too much...two is too few How many princesses are hiding from ... | |
| Check my translation please. | 3/1/2010 |
| Q: I wanted to ask if you could help correct my short letter. I am beginning to study Italian and not ... A: The opening line is ok: after that, there are a few mistakes. One would say "cambio il mio lavoro" ... | |
| my yours, his, hers etc | 1/18/2010 |
| Q: i am learning italian mainley from workbooks and am getting confused over the different ways of ... A: The basic rule in Italian is that there are 4 different ways of using the possessive for each person ... | |
| Stupendous thought | 12/12/2009 |
| Q: Several months ago while you were on vacation I needed translating assistance from one of the ... A: To be honest, I would prefer a long song every couple of months as this way, I am able to see the ... | |
| Check Translation Please | 11/1/2009 |
| Q: Ciao Lauren! Ho detto bene il paragrafo? Inglese: FACEBOOK EXPERIMENT- if you are reading this, ... A: Quello che means 'what' when you are using it in a sentence and not as a question. And yes it is ... | |
| translation from italian to english | 10/30/2009 |
| Q: molte volte nella mia vita asoettavo sempre che qvalche miracolo mi potesse capitare ,e non mi sono ... A: The translation goes: Many times in my life I always waited for some kind of miracle to happen to me ... | |
| Check Translation Please | 10/30/2009 |
| Q: Ciao Lauren! Ho detto bene il paragrafo? Inglese: FACEBOOK EXPERIMENT- if you are reading this, ... A: The only corrections I would make is 'pubblica un commento' and 'pubblica questo paragrafo' and 'ti ... | |
| italian help! i'm horrible! | 10/20/2009 |
| Q: can you check to see if these are correct sentences: 1. Ha quindici anni alla de Mount OLive le ... A: The first sentence would be: Ho 15 anni e vado alla scuola Mount Olive The second sentence: I miei ... | |
| You want me to.... | 10/16/2009 |
| Q: Salve Lauren! Come sta? I have a question. I'm having some trouble understanding how to say certain ... A: For your examples there are various answers to give you. For the sentence 'Do you want me to call ... | |
| Translation from english to italian for Tattoo | 8/24/2009 |
| Q: i am looking to get following saying translated into italian for a tattoo. Anything i could desire, ... A: These translations are also quite good as well. None of them are incorrect. If you want to sound the ... | |
| Translation to Italian | 8/22/2009 |
| Q: I recently had a bridal shower and my mother-in-law to be only speaks Italian (which I do not) and I ... A: The translation us: Caro/Cara (name) Grazie mille per i regali degli asciugamani belli, la ... | |
| Pouilles | 8/18/2009 |
| Q: I wonder if you can help me with this one: Pouilles used to be what is now known as Puglia, or ... A: As a fellow French speaker myself, I have to say that pronouncing Pouilles in the French way would ... | |
| Translation | 8/8/2009 |
| Q: I am looking to engrave "until forever" on my wedding ring in italian. When we looked up the ... A: Although every way that you have found is possible, I will tell you the most natural way. This is ... | |
| Difference with che cosa fai and lei che cosa fa | 8/7/2009 |
| Q: I am working with Rosetta Stone to learn Italian. I can't determine the difference between saying ... A: The massive major difference is the fact that you use 'lei' when talking in the polite form either ... | |
| cucina | 8/7/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the word "cucina". Can you please tell me if "cucina" is used to say both ... A: Yes, cucina can been both kitchen and food however it is important to know that Italians will hardly ... | |
| Prefixing Infinitives | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: Can you explain when an infinitive following a conjugated verb should be prefixed with 'a' and when ... A: Unfortunately there is not a specific rule for when an infinitive must be prefixed with an 'a'. It ... | |
| Italian phrases | 7/27/2009 |
| Q: Salve Lauren! Well I am less than a week away from finally arriving in Italy! So excited!!! I just ... A: Have you been there/here before is "Sei mai stato li/qui prima" Is it free is "é gratis?" In ... | |
| figli vs bambini | 6/20/2009 |
| Q: Is there any distinction between saying “figli” for children as opposed to saying “bambini” for ... A: The only major distinction is really the fact that 'figli' is a formal way of referring to ones son ... | |
| Another beautiful Italian song | 6/18/2009 |
| Q: Last year you kindly translated a song called Come Vorrei for me. I was wondering if I could ask ... A: Nice to hear from you again :) Please find the translation below: About us, I see the pieces of our ... | |
| Ho mangiato "io" il tuo.... | 6/16/2009 |
| Q: Salve Lauren, So one of my lessons shows a guy asking "Chi ha mangiato il mio cioccolato? So the ... A: Io is used after her response to emphasise it. In Italian, although it isn't usually necessary to ... | |
| comparisons | 6/16/2009 |
| Q: Lauren Me again. I am struggling with one particular comparison. Should di or che be used in the ... A: In Italian, the present perfect continuous tense can be formed in many ways. For example, in English ... | |
| vino or vini | 6/7/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the word "vino" should be singular or plural in the following: "due ... A: In this case, the word for wine will always remain singular as it is the bottles that you are ... | |
| passato prossimo and object pronouns | 6/6/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me the correct location for an object pronoun that is used with the passato ... A: With the passato prossimo, the article will only and ever go before the whole sentence so in the ... | |
| Where can we meet? | 6/2/2009 |
| Q: Ciao Lauren, Is this how you would say where can we meet? I'm not sure which translation is more ... A: Yes, your two translations for those sentences are correct. The "ti" ending of the verb refers to ... | |
| Where can we meet? | 6/2/2009 |
| Q: Ciao Lauren, Is this how you would say where can we meet? I'm not sure which translation is more ... A: The best way would be to say Dove possiamo incontraci? or if you are the type of person who prefers ... | |
| translation from english to italian | 5/28/2009 |
| Q: received your e-mail we are excited about your coming will you be arriving on august 24th? and who ... A: Here is the translation: Cara Elisa, Ho ricevuto il tuo email. Siamo eccitati per il tuo arrivo. ... | |
| allergies | 5/25/2009 |
| Q: My son is allergic to nut,peanuts, lupine flour, legumes, cumin, some spices and all fish except ... A: The way of saying my son is allergic to would be 'mio figlio é allergico a... Please find below a ... | |
| translation | 5/24/2009 |
| Q: Can you help me figure out how da is used in “ Io uscivo da quanto stava male.” Is it a preposition ... A: Da is still a preposition as it has linked the phrase with other elements of the sentence. I ... | |
| Flavors: How to describe | 5/24/2009 |
| Q: Salve Lauren, Spero che tu sta bene. I have a question in regards to talking about flavors. If I ... A: The most common and likely way to hear flavours being used is by using the preposition 'di' to link ... | |
| translation | 5/23/2009 |
| Q: Can you help me figure out how da is used in “ Io uscivo da quanto stava male.” Is it a preposition ... A: Da is a preposition in this case: a preposition is a word that links nouns or noun phrases with ... | |
| alcuni vs partitive articlle | 5/18/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there are any guidelines to follow as to when to use "alcuni" to say ... A: A direct or specific example would be when you are talking about somebody or something in ... | |
| alcuni vs partitive articlle | 5/18/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there are any guidelines to follow as to when to use "alcuni" to say ... A: The partitive article is used to indicate imprecise or approximate quantities. It appears before ... | |
| impersonal subject | 5/16/2009 |
| Q: Is it acceptable in standard Italian to use "E" to indicate an impersonal subject (it)? Ex. It is ... A: Speaking from a personal point of view, I have only heard of the si impersonal to form this sort of ... | |
| verbal | 5/13/2009 |
| Q: Please help choose between gerundio or present participle for the sentences below: 1. “The lady ... A: Although not grammatically incorrect, this use of the gerund is not commonly used in everyday ... | |
| comparisons | 5/10/2009 |
| Q: Lauren Me again. I am struggling with one particular comparison. Should di or che be used in the ... A: When writing a sentence where things are being compared, the possibilities can always be che or di. ... | |
| fare | 5/10/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the verb "fare" is ever used to talk about "birthdays" or "age". In my ... A: You have come across another way to describe your age. Italians use 'fare' because as well as being ... | |
| -ato & -va endings | 5/9/2009 |
| Q: Ciao Lauren! So now I'm learning hte past tense of words. First I learned the ero/era/ato endings ... A: The 'ato' endings refer to the definite past when something has been totally completed and finished. ... | |
| translation | 4/27/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the difference between "riso" (rice) and "risi" (rice). I found the ... A: It basically means that when talking about rice in general, you should use the singular of 'riso' ... | |
| word order | 4/21/2009 |
| Q: Is it acceptable to place the subject after a transitive verb. Ex. Juan sells many books. Venda ... A: Yes, when using transitive verbs it is quite common to see the subject placed after the verb. To ... | |
| andare bene | 4/19/2009 |
| Q: I recently came across the following sentences: Questa scarpa va bene. Questi pantaloni vanno bene. ... A: Andare bene is a very popular sentence that you will hear commonly used throughout Italy. It is the ... | |
| use of | 4/18/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me why the preposition "di" is included in the following sentences: Queste ... A: I am sorry to hear you're still having trouble understanding this use of di. Unfortunately, I don't ... | |
| definite article | 4/17/2009 |
| Q: Could you please tell me why the definite article is included before "stessa grandezza" in: "Queste ... A: In the first sentence, the article does not go with 'stessa' but rather with 'grandezza' since ... | |
| use of "di" | 4/17/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me why the preposition "di" is included in the following sentences: Queste ... A: The particle di is needed in this sentence simply because the verb requires the preposition to ... | |
| meno | 4/16/2009 |
| Q: Would you please verify that the definite article is not used after the adjective "meno". For ... A: As I answered in the previous question you had, there is never any need to use a definite article ... | |
| Subjunctive | 4/14/2009 |
| Q: I would be eternally grateful if you could help me translate these sentences into Italian "i thought ... A: Preparare uses the direct object pronoun not the indirect. This is because la cena is the result of ... | |
| reflexive pronouns | 4/11/2009 |
| Q: May I ask your help in determining the semantic function of reflexive pronoun as used in the ... A: The reflexive pronoun does act as the direct object of the sentence but also it acts as a particle ... | |
| La bomba--letter translation | 4/6/2009 |
| Q: The next letter of my grandmother's that I would like help with was written many years later, and ... A: The translation is: When we arrived in California, it was 4:15 in the morning. We left right away. ... | |
| use of definite article | 4/3/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there are special grammatical rules that require the use of the definite ... A: No there is no specific grammatical rule. I guess it is just a matter of learning the cases where ... | |
| tranaslation questions | 3/31/2009 |
| Q: Were we supposed to rate the help? If so, how do we go about it? Also, the day after I wrote you ... A: Firstly, it isn't compulsory to rate the help but feel free if you want :) Just click on my answer ... | |
| translation problem | 3/29/2009 |
| Q: I'm translating letters from my grandparents from the 40's. My grandmother has been writing about a ... A: Yes, 'poco di buono' does refer to being a good for nothing or a bad penny etc. Anything that ... | |
| tutto | 3/29/2009 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the indefinite pronoun "tutto" is every preceded by the definite ... A: As far as I am concerned this isn't very likely as tutto is an indefinite pronoun which is usually ... | |
| contanti | 3/24/2009 |
| Q: Could you please tell me if there is a masculine singular form of the noun "contanti" (cash). My ... A: Yes technically there is a singular form 'contante' but when referring to cash, nobody ever uses it. ... | |
| genitive case | 3/22/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the "genitive case" actually exists in Italian, or is there just a way of ... A: As far as I know, Italian doesn't have the genitive case. As Italian makes good use of the ... | |
| sacchetto / sacchetto di carta | 3/22/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me how to say "paper bag" when referring to the small bag that a person uses to ... A: The word I would use is 'cartoccio.' Although 'sacchetto' is a small bag, it is usually associated ... | |
| demonstrative pronouns "quello" and "questo" | 3/13/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if a definite article is ever required to be placed before or after the words ... A: Every time that you use 'quello' and 'quella' etc, they will follow the same structure as 'questo' ... | |
| Subjunctive | 3/10/2009 |
| Q: I would be eternally grateful if you could help me translate these sentences into Italian "i thought ... A: In English, when we see the Italian structure of the imperfet with the imperfect subjunctive, most ... | |
| use of "quanto" with the verb "costare" | 3/6/2009 |
| Q: My question concerns the placement of the verb "costare" in a sentence that starts with the ... A: The verb 'costare' always comes directly after quanto in the question. The reason is that simply it ... | |
| di piu | 3/3/2009 |
| Q: Is there any way for me to know if "di piu" in the following sentence means "more" (The comparative ... A: The only way to work out the meaning is by looking at the context that comes with it. For example, ... | |
| use of "di piu" | 2/27/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: Quale camicia ti piace di piu? Is this sentence ... A: Yes this is the correct way to state it. For some reason, Italians always put 'di' before 'piu' when ... | |
| comparatives used with piacere | 2/27/2009 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if comparatives can be used with the verb piacere to indicate when a person ... A: Yes, when constructing comparative sentences, the structure will always be the same: The verb (in ... | |
| comparisons of quantity | 2/24/2009 |
| Q: Would you please verify for me that Italian "comparisons of quantity" are made by use of "piu di" ... A: Yes I can confirm this. Whenever using quantities of comparison, you must put 'di' after piú and ... | |
| phrase | 2/12/2009 |
| Q: Could you please tell me whether the sentence "Scusi, è questa la strada che conduce alla stazione?" ... A: Although your sentence is perfectly and grammatically correct, I would personally use the verb ... | |
| Some help needed | 2/7/2009 |
| Q: I need help with a phrase that I don't fully understand: "Non voglio entrare nel merito ma qua molti ... A: Without any context, it is quite difficult for me to be totally accurate but I would say that the ... | |
| asking questions | 2/7/2009 |
| Q: I have a question about the following sentence that I have encountered in a computer course that I ... A: Yes I would say that the computer course is wrong. I have never heard é coming before questa. ... | |
| translate | 1/22/2009 |
| Q: and also looking for your translation on "i treasure your friendship" i've seen it translated in ... A: The correct translation would be : bello sbaglio. There are some adjectives that must be placed ... | |
| Translation | 1/21/2009 |
| Q: I would be eternally grateful if you could help me translate these sentences into Italian "i thought ... A: The first translation would be Pensavo che io andrei via da qui qualora mi avessero licenziato ... | |
| Gira, Visita | 1/16/2009 |
| Q: Buon giorno! So I'm learning italian through Rosetta Stone...awesome program but of course I just ... A: Although gira and giri both mean to turn, there is a small difference between the two. Gira is turn ... | |
| supermercato/supermarket | 1/15/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the difference between the use of the words "supermercato" and ... A: The answer to this question is that there are no differences at all. Supermercato is the official ... | |
| ferramenta/o/i | 1/15/2009 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if my understanding of the following is correct or not: "ferramenta" is a ... A: To be honest, the most common usage I have seen is 'ferramenta' and I have rarely seen 'ferramento' ... | |
| avere bisogno di | 1/12/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the idiomatic expression - "avere bisogno di" I am wondering if the "di" in ... A: The best way to think about this expression is by literally thinking that the verb is ´to have need ... | |
| verdura | 1/10/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the word "verdura". Can the word "verdura" be used for both the singular word ... A: The word verdura is a generic word which means that you can use it both for singular and plural and ... | |
| pronunciation | 1/10/2009 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the pronunciation of the middle syllable (iel) in the word "gioiello". ... A: In Italian, you have to pronounce every letter and syllable as you know so your attempt isnt totally ... | |
| homepage | 1/10/2009 |
| Q: Is there a native Italian equivalent for the word "homepage"? Also, in general, do you know of any ... A: The italian equivalant for homepage would be pagina iniciale however homepage is slowly entering the ... | |
| translation | 1/10/2009 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have translated the following sentence correctly: I soldi sono sul ... A: Even though ´soldi´is plural in Italian, obviously in English you cannot say ´monies´ so you would ... | |
| Feminine or masculine form | 1/10/2009 |
| Q: I'm a French Canadian. I learned Italian over 40 years ago here in Montreal but didn't get to ... A: No, in Italian the feminine and masculine forms at the ends of verbs are not optional. Whenenever ... | |
| scala a pioli | 1/8/2009 |
| Q: Is the word "scala" used to say "ladder" or should I say "scala a pioli" to say "ladder"? Thank ... A: Well I think I just answered this in my previous reply :D Scala is the best way to say ladder. The ... | |
| scala | 1/8/2009 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the proper use of the words "scala" and "scale". I am ... A: You would use 'scala' when you are talking about a staircase however if you are referring to actual ... | |
| sentence structure | 12/31/2008 |
| Q: Would you please verify for me that the word "medico" is grammatically a masculine noun but that it ... A: Yes the word 'medico' is a masculine noun however it is also used to describe a female with the same ... | |
| sentence structure | 12/31/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have the following sentence inflected correctly: "Questa e gente." ... A: Yes, if you wanted to say 'this is people' the correct way to state it is 'questa é gente.' However ... | |
| pronunciation | 12/31/2008 |
| Q: My question is about how to pronounce the word "NAIADE" as found in the "Fontana delle Naiadi" I am ... A: The correct pronunciation of 'naiade' would be as the English 'eah' in this case. Although usually, ... | |
| translation from english to italian | 12/30/2008 |
| Q: Elisa, It was good talking with you and seeing all the faces at the same time. You all look great ... A: The translation is: Elisa, E´ stato bello parlare con te e vedere tutti i tuoi visi allo stesso ... | |
| prepositions | 12/28/2008 |
| Q: I want to say "The men work at the park" I know that the Italian preposition "in" can be ... A: If you were wanting to express ´at the park´the Italian would be ´al parco´The reason for this is ... | |
| Roman slang? | 12/28/2008 |
| Q: Salve- While in Rome this summer spending time with my cousins I noticed many of their friends (of ... A: 'Bella' is a very Roman way of saying 'What's up?' or 'How's it going?' to their friends. To be ... | |
| prepositions | 12/27/2008 |
| Q: I want to say "The men work at the park" I know that the Italian preposition "in" can be ... A: When you are stating that 'the men work at the park' it depends on the actual meaning on how you say ... | |
| using "bimbo" with a possessive adjective | 12/25/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the definite article is suppose to be included with the possessive ... A: Although usually the definite article is not included with family members, in the case of 'bimbo' or ... | |
| translation from italian to english | 12/23/2008 |
| Q: cara carmela contanto affetto ho ricevuto latua lettera mi fa conforto la tua presenza nei miei ... A: The translation is: Dear Carmela, I received your letter with a lot of pleasure. Your presence gave ... | |
| Translation of "La Promessa" by Il Divo | 12/21/2008 |
| Q: Greetings from sunny Thailand! I love Il Divo and would greatly appreciate it if you could help ... A: The translation is: If you are not there, I will become a shador If you are not there, I will feel ... | |
| Italian | 12/20/2008 |
| Q: I recently wrote this sentence: In particolarmente, sembrava che il Circolo Italiano si ... A: Firstly, the whole sentence would be in the singular form as everything relates back to Il circolo ... | |
| A Word in Italian | 12/8/2008 |
| Q: A friend of mine, whose folks are second-generation Italian-Americans, says they use the word ... A: I can honestly say that I have never heard the word scavuso used and that as far as I know, the ... | |
| Come Vorrei | 12/1/2008 |
| Q: I Googled for translation of this song but I was not successful. I’d be very grateful if I can get ... A: That's no problem :) Please find the translated version below. And, good night, good night to ... | |
| translation from english to italian | 11/24/2008 |
| Q: ciao abbiamo telefonato per sentire la vosta voce, per sapere come state volevo sapere se avete la ... A: The translation is: Ho webcam sul mio computer. Per vedervi e parlarvi, ho installato un programma ... | |
| gender of "ospiti" | 11/24/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following is correct or not: "Questi sono i nostri ospiti." = ... A: Yes both of these sentences are correct. In the first one, ospiti is preceded with i and nostri so ... | |
| Definite Article | 11/22/2008 |
| Q: I wanted to follow-up with Maria but it seems she has maxed out on questions. I see there are others ... A: Yes it appears in this case that the book has stated something incorrectly. It isn't necessary in ... | |
| cardinal numbers | 11/18/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the cardinal number "otto" is being used as an "adjective" or as a ... A: Yes, in this sentence, 'otto' is being used as a noun. It is located after apartment for the same ... | |
| subject pronouns | 11/16/2008 |
| Q: Could you please tell me if Italians include subject pronouns when they ask a person his or her ... A: An Italian would only include a subect pronoun if they really wanted to emphasise it when they were ... | |
| translation from italian to english | 11/14/2008 |
| Q: ciao abbiamo telefonato per sentire la vosta voce, per sapere come state volevo sapere se avete la ... A: The translation is: Hi, We phoned to hear your voice, to know how you are I wanted to know if you ... | |
| translation | 11/6/2008 |
| Q: Would you please translate the following sentence: "Gli uomini portano il cappello." Would you ... A: Ok, in this case the reason why it remains plural is because although there are 3 men, they are ... | |
| translation | 11/6/2008 |
| Q: Would you please translate the following sentence: "Gli uomini portano il cappello." Would you ... A: The sentence would translate as 'the men wear the hat' The reason why 'hat' is singular is because ... | |
| use of "odorare" | 10/27/2008 |
| Q: First of all - thank you for all of the help you have given me. Would you please verify for me that ... A: Yes the verb odorare can be used as a transitive and an intransitive verb. The example of ´la dona ... | |
| giocare | 10/26/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if there is a reflexive form of the the verb "giocare". If this reflexive ... A: The verb giocare can be made reflexive into the ´giocarsi´form This isn´t used often and would only ... | |
| ci sono | 10/25/2008 |
| Q: My question is about "ci sono" in the sentence: "Ci sono sette giorni in una settimana." I am ... A: Yes the sentence does mean ´there are seven days in one week.´ Ci does still mean there in this ... | |
| translations | 10/13/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if both of the Italian sentences shown below are correct ways of saying: ... A: Yes you can see 'the people in Egypt speak Arabic' using both 'gente' and 'persone' however ... | |
| expressing nationality | 10/13/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the masculine/feminine noun that is used to express nationality. For example, ... A: Yes 'italiano' is a masculine or feminine noun depending on the persons gender that you are talking ... | |
| impersonal si | 10/10/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have translated the following sentence correctly: Si trova uno ... A: Yes the sentence is translated correctly. In this case, si trova is an impersonal construction. ... | |
| suffix | 10/10/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the suffix one/a/i/e Would you please tell me if when this suffix is used, the ... A: The stress on this word once again falls on the beginning section so the O would be pronounced ... | |
| 10 prep and adj phrases | 10/8/2008 |
| Q: I am in need of 10 adj and 10 prep phrases quickly I am fluent in Spanish but took Italian for my ... A: The key to remember is when forming adjectives, masculine ends in 0 and feminine e whereas masculine ... | |
| translation | 10/7/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have translated the following correctly: Il turismo e oggi abbastanza ... A: Yes you have correctly translated the sentence. Well done! In this case, you must always remember ... | |
| molisano | 10/7/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me how translate "molisano" (the adjective form of Molise) into English. ... A: Molisano doesn´t actually have an English translation. The reason being is that a language cannot ... | |
| americano | 10/7/2008 |
| Q: Would you please verify for me that both the adjective form and the noun form of "americano" can be ... A: Yes, I can verify that ámericano´can be used as an adjective or a nou. Your examples are correct. ... | |
| translation | 10/5/2008 |
| Q: My question is about how to say: "Her hair is wet." I am thinking that this should be: "I capelli ... A: In this case, the computer course is correct because if you were to just say 'I capelli sono ... | |
| spazzolino | 10/4/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the suffix "ino" in the word "spazzolino". I am wondering why the ... A: Yes this just happens to be one exception. Usually the diminutives keep the gender of the root word ... | |
| translation | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: I have been having a hard time determining if the pronouns mi, ci, ti, vi are being used as direct ... A: Yes, there is no set rule really. You just have to take each case as an individual one. In the ... | |
| translation | 9/28/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the translation of the following: "Come puo aiutarci Giovanni?" Does ... A: Yes your translation is correct. The sentence means 'Hpw is Giovanni able to help us?' The use of ... | |
| rospo | 9/23/2008 |
| Q: I believe that the Italian for “toad”, apart from the above (rospo) is also “bufone” or something ... A: To be honest, the only word that I have ever came across for toad is 'rospo' The Latin for toad is ... | |
| translation | 9/22/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have translated the following correctly: "Che vestiti mi metto ... A: The translation would be: What clothes shall I wear tonight? This is because 'vestiti' on its own ... | |
| in | 9/22/2008 |
| Q: My question is about "In questa circostanza" that my dictionary translates as "on this occasion". I ... A: This is simply because 'in questa circostanza' would literally translate as 'in this circumstance' ... | |
| translation | 9/21/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the translation of: "Ma Giovanni chi sta aspettando?" Am I correct in ... A: The translation is simply ´But who is Giovanni waiting for´ In Italian there is no specific ... | |
| gerunds | 9/20/2008 |
| Q: I have been recently trying to translate a bunch of Italian sentences that use a variety of verb ... A: Yes you are totally on the right track with it. I will try to break it down more simply for you: ... | |
| intervenuto | 9/20/2008 |
| Q: I have recently tried to translate the following sentence: "Che e intervenuto?" First of all, ... A: Don't worry, you are correct with what you have seen. Although you can see the 'essere' form, it is ... | |
| Geo | 9/16/2008 |
| Q: I'm totally mystified by the significance of the following schedule of RAI 3: 17:00Cose dell'altro ... A: Geo & Geo is infact a nature and Science programme shown on RAI3 If you look here on this link, you ... | |
| gente | 9/14/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have translated the following sentence correctly: "Perche la gente e ... A: Yes you have translated the sentence correctly. As I told you before, just because 'gente' is ... | |
| lenzuolo | 9/14/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the word "lenzuolo" My dictionary states that "lenzuolo" is a masculine noun ... A: To clarify all of this for you: Il lenzuolo means the sheet HOWEVER the plural is le lenzuola It is ... | |
| spazzolare | 9/11/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if there is a reflexive form of the verb "spazzolare". If so, would this ... A: Yes there is a reflex form for ´spazzolare´which would be ´spazzolarsi´So you would use this when ... | |
| spazzolino | 9/10/2008 |
| Q: My computer course shows a picture of a toothbrush with the caption "spazzolino". I checked my ... A: The correct word for tooth brush is 'spazzolino da denti' This is the only correct way to say it. ... | |
| possessive adjective | 9/10/2008 |
| Q: Is it true that when a body part or an article of clothing is something being possessed that, in ... A: Yes your understanding with this one is correct. As the picture actually shows what it going on, ... | |
| Come Vorrei | 9/9/2008 |
| Q: I Googled for translation of this song but I was not successful. I’d be very grateful if I can get ... A: The translation is: There are days where I don't sleep and I thnk of you I stay shut in my house in ... | |
| possessive adjective | 9/9/2008 |
| Q: Is it true that when a body part or an article of clothing is something being possessed that, in ... A: In response to your question, you must always omit the possessive article as to an Italian, it would ... | |
| translations | 9/9/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have translated the following sentences correctly: Lui ha la faccia ... A: The same thing would stand for clothing really. 'Perche tu porti la maglia?' would translate as why ... | |
| translations | 9/8/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have translated the following sentences correctly: Lui ha la faccia ... A: Yes you have translated them correctly as although in Italian they use 'la' in English we would say ... | |
| gente | 9/7/2008 |
| Q: I recently came across the following sentence: "La gente in Italia parla italiano." Would you ... A: I can honestly say that I have never heard 'genti' said in my entire life. Although yes, strictly ... | |
| translations | 9/7/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following translations are correct: La bambina si sveglia. = The ... A: Yes your understanding with this is spot on: svegliarsi is used when a person does the action to ... | |
| gente | 9/6/2008 |
| Q: I recently came across the following sentence: "La gente in Italia parla italiano." Would you ... A: Yes the sentence is gramatically correct. Although 'gente' would translate into the plural as ... | |
| avere | 9/4/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following is true: Queste uova hanno un cattivo odore. (These eggs ... A: To break it down for you, it isn't surprising to see why 'avere' is a transitive verb. The meaning ... | |
| definite article | 9/2/2008 |
| Q: I hope you don't mind another question about titles and the definite article. Would you please tell ... A: When introducing somebody, to be honest, both can be correct: there is no 100% correct way. ... | |
| definite article | 9/2/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the definite article with titles. Would a person include the ... A: In this case, don't use the definite article before it. There is no need as when it is literally ... | |
| possessive adjectives | 9/1/2008 |
| Q: My question concerns when and when not to include the definite article to express possession when ... A: In regards to your question, when it comes to direct family members such as ´sorella´or ... | |
| definite article | 8/27/2008 |
| Q: I was once told not to include the definite article before the name of a language after the verb ... A: I can only say from personal experience that from learning and speaking, 'studiare' does need the ... | |
| Thank you | 8/27/2008 |
| Q: hey Lauren, it would be great if you could help me write a thank you card to a friends mum...i just ... A: Yes of course :) Here is the translation. Grazie mille per averci alloggiato a casa tua con tal ... | |
| which translation is appropriate? | 8/27/2008 |
| Q: "lasciar andare" and "lasciar libero" both mean "to let go," is this correct? I am looking for the ... A: 'Lasciar libero' could also refer to setting free emotions however I personally feel that 'lasciarsi ... | |
| eliding numbers | 8/27/2008 |
| Q: My question is about eliding numbers and years such as: vent'anni (20 years) Would you please tell ... A: In the written language, you will never see the numbers being wrote elided with the years as this ... | |
| gender | 8/27/2008 |
| Q: My question is about nouns that can be both masculine and feminine. For example - the word ... A: Yes, with this topic, your understanding seems to be top :) So with a word such as 'ospite' it ... | |
| eliding numbers | 8/26/2008 |
| Q: My question is about eliding numbers and years such as: vent'anni (20 years) Would you please tell ... A: Yes, in Italian there are many examples of numbers that when included next to another word and ... | |
| which translation is appropriate? | 8/26/2008 |
| Q: "lasciar andare" and "lasciar libero" both mean "to let go," is this correct? I am looking for the ... A: Yes it is true that both of these mean 'to let go' However 'lasciar libero' refers to letting go in ... | |
| persone vs gente | 8/24/2008 |
| Q: Would you please explain what the difference is between the words "persone" and "gente". I came ... A: In general, 'gente' is people and 'persone' is persons however of course as you come to realise with ... | |
| quale | 8/22/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the word "quale" Am I correct in thinking that "quale" is an ... A: There isn't any reason in particular to be honest that I can give. Just simply that this is the way ... | |
| quale | 8/22/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the word "quale" Am I correct in thinking that "quale" is an ... A: 'Quale' has a variety of meanings and uses. Firstly it can be an adjective so an example would be, ... | |
| definite article | 8/21/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the definite article with names of languages. I am mixed up about ... A: Yes these sentences are correct. The reason being is that whenever the name of a language is ... | |
| formal or informal imperative | 8/19/2008 |
| Q: I am reading a novel ["The Wedding Officer" by Anthony Capella] and came across the following ... A: When hearing 'scusare' in the imperative, it isn't very likely that you will come across 'scusino' ... | |
| floor numbers | 8/19/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if Italy uses the British or the American system for numbering floors in a ... A: In Italy there isn't one set way to number floors as it depends on the person: it can always variate ... | |
| possession with the word "bambino" | 8/14/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me why the definite article is included in the following sentence: "Quanti ... A: Yes, usually 'bambino' wouldnt need to be preceded by the definite article. However in the way that ... | |
| translations | 8/13/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have translated the following correctly: Il neonato ha un giorno. = ... A: Yes that is correct, you definitely have the hang of this structure now. That is all I can really ... | |
| partitive article | 8/11/2008 |
| Q: My question is about using the partitive article to say: "Do you have any money?" Am I correct in ... A: Yes, usually you can use the partitive article when you are asking somebody if they have any money. ... | |
| habitual action | 8/10/2008 |
| Q: I have been trying to understand when to use the "plural" definite article with days of the week to ... A: In my personal experience of coming across the plural usage of the days of the week, it is only ... | |
| age questions | 8/8/2008 |
| Q: My question is about asking the age of a baby or young child. When asking this question do I still ... A: Yes if you were not sure if the baby was under 1 or not then yes, you could ask the mother, "Quanti ... | |
| age questions | 8/6/2008 |
| Q: My question is about asking the age of a baby or young child. When asking this question do I still ... A: If it's apparent that the baby or young child is below one years old, then yes it would be perfectly ... | |
| buono cattivo | 8/4/2008 |
| Q: I have come across the following sentences: Il pane ha un sapore buono. - The bread has a good ... A: Yes you have translated the sentences correctly :) As for the positions of 'buono' and 'cattivo' it ... | |
| translation | 8/2/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following sentence: "Benvenuto nella nostra casa." Would you ... A: Yes, your translation is correct :) Usually with 'benvenuto' 'a' follows it as obviously this is ... | |
| translating | 7/30/2008 |
| Q: maria is always maxed out. can you translate a letter I have written in English to Italian so that I ... A: Here you go: Caro cugini, Vogliamo che sappiate che ci manchi e pensiamo di voi spesso. Abbiamo ... | |
| translation | 7/28/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the translation of the following: "Tutti gli Italiani, comunque, ... A: Firstly the correct translation of the sentence would be: 'All the Italians give a lot of importance ... | |
| prevedere | 7/27/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following verb: "prevedere" to foresee My "510 Italian Verb" ... A: Once again, you have came across another verb where there are multiple choices for the present ... | |
| cuocere | 7/27/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following verb. "CUOCERE" to bake, to cook My "500 Italian ... A: The verb cuocere that you have come across, tends to be the hardest verb for people to understand. ... | |
| a loro | 7/26/2008 |
| Q: I have been spending the day trying to better understand "a loro". I want to thank you again for ... A: Yes it is possible that 'a loro' will need to be used at times in the English translation. Don't ... | |
| translation | 7/26/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the translation of the following: "e fanno insieme a loro molte ... A: Yes you are correct :) It isn't necessary to keep 'a loro' in there as you would be perfectly ... | |
| "cuocere" vs "cucinare" | 7/24/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me what is the difference between the use of "cuocere" and "cucinare". I ... A: Both 'cuocere' and 'cucinare' mean 'to cook' However it is most common in italian to use 'cucinare' ... | |
| translation | 7/24/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the translation of the following: "e fanno insieme a loro molte ... A: I apologise for the delay in replying. The translation would be 'And they do many recreational ... | |
| Photo captions | 7/24/2008 |
| Q: I need to translate a couple of phrases for photo captions. The first is, "Lover's tiff", or "A ... A: Lover's tiff would translate as 'Battibecco fra amanti' which is literally 'a squabble between ... | |
| prepositions | 7/14/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following sentence is correct: Io bevo il caffe al ristorante. - ... A: I would say that if the question is 'Where do you drink your coffee?' the correct translation would ... | |
| prepositions | 7/13/2008 |
| Q: Can the word "parco" be used with both "nel" and "al" as: Gli uomini lavorano nel parco. - The ... A: Yes the word 'parco' can be preceded by both 'nel' and 'al' depending on its context and structural ... | |
| prepositions | 7/13/2008 |
| Q: Can "L'insegnante lavora a scuola" be translated as: "The teacher works in the school." and/or ... A: With this sentence, neither translation is particular better than the other one. Scuola is one of ... | |
| prepositions | 7/13/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if both of the following sentences and their translations are correct: Il ... A: Your translations of the sentences are correct. But as I mentioned before on the previous question, ... | |
| "al" vs "nel" | 7/12/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following sentences are structurally correct, and if their ... A: Yes you are totally correct if what you said in this case: al ristorante will be translated as, at ... | |
| Italian phrase | 7/9/2008 |
| Q: I am about to get a tattoo and would like to incorporate the phrase "Lead me home" into it. I want ... A: Yes it would be literally translated as 'guide me towards home.' You can't say 'guidami casa' as ... | |
| definite article | 7/4/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the definite article "il" before "lavoro" in the following ... A: I must say that your understanding of the sentence is spot on! :) So congratulations on that. To ... | |
| translation and grammar | 7/3/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: Lui legge prima di dormire. Would you please tell me ... A: Yes well done, you have this understanding spot on. The sentence does translate as 'He reads before ... | |
| Noi siamo della Cina. | 6/20/2008 |
| Q: Hi. My question is about use of "di" plus the name of a country. It thought that the basic rule ... A: Yes you are correct: usually when talking about a country, the definite article isn't used after ... | |
| directions of accent marks | 6/13/2008 |
| Q: does it matter which direction the accent mark goes on certain letters; are they all acute, all ... A: Yes, the direction that the accent goes on certain letters is very important as it decides the way ... | |
| definite article | 6/12/2008 |
| Q: I was once told that, in Italian, I should always include the definite article with the name of an ... A: In the majority of cases, it is necessary that the definite article is included although it isn't ... | |
| possessive adjectives | 6/11/2008 |
| Q: I now understand what you mean about "Voglio bene alla figlia" being to broad. But, I am still ... A: Please accept my sincere apologies as I seem to have accidentally answered slightly incorrectly in ... | |
| possessive adjectives | 6/10/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following Italian sentences are both correct ways to say: "I love ... A: To say I love my daughter, the correct way would be 'voglio bene alla mia figlia' and this way only. ... | |
| possessive adjectives | 6/10/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following Italian sentences are both correct ways to say: "The ... A: Yes, both ways are indeed correct. Volere bene is the stem of 'to love' when referring to a ... | |
| Italian song | 5/30/2008 |
| Q: I tried to find the English lyrics, but they make no sense. Do you know what the song by ... A: This is the translation for you: Tu non puoi pretendere (You can't pretend) Di avere tutto quanto ... | |
| Love Phrases for a Male | 5/26/2008 |
| Q: I don't know any Italian but i would like to be able to use some romantic phrases for my Italian ... A: Firstly, cuore is the correct way to say 'heart' as although anima can mean it too, it refers more ... | |
| qualcuno | 5/26/2008 |
| Q: I am wondering about the word "qualcuno" in the following phrase: ...e raramente c'era qualcuno che ... A: To explain this clearly to you: Qualcuno is mostly a pronoun and is translated as somebody or ... | |
| essere / stare | 5/25/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand why "essere" is used to ask a person if he is sick or tired, but the verb ... A: Stare is always used to refer to how a person is or how they are feeling at a specific time ... | |
| qualcuno | 5/25/2008 |
| Q: I am wondering about the word "qualcuno" in the following phrase: ...e raramente c'era qualcuno che ... A: The translation of the phrase would indeed be what you have said, 'And rarely there was someone that ... | |
| di | 5/23/2008 |
| Q: I am wondering why the preposition "di" is included in the following sentence: Di che colore e la ... A: Yes, you have came across a structure in the Italian sentence that wouldn't be necessary in English ... | |
| ne'...ne' | 5/23/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I am correctly understanding the use of "ne'...ne'" as I have tried to ... A: Yes, your understanding of the use of 'ne...ne' is excellent! I can't really fault it so I will just ... | |
| translation | 5/21/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me translate the following: Quando arrivavano non conoscevano la lingua, non ... A: The sentence means: when they arrived, they didn't know the language, they didn't know how to orient ... | |
| tanto | 5/21/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to figure out how best to translate the adverb "tanto" in the following: "ma per la ... A: Yes I can't fault your answer here. In this sentence, 'tanto' would indeed be translated as 'so' ... | |
| parts of speech | 5/20/2008 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the expressions "la gran parte" and "la maggior parte" are adjectives ... A: Don't worry, there was no need to apologise :) I just wanted to make sure that I understood what you ... | |
| parts of speech | 5/19/2008 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the expressions "la gran parte" and "la maggior parte" are adjectives ... A: The expressions 'la gran parte' and 'la maggior parte' are adjectives If 'per' was put before them ... | |
| comparisons | 5/19/2008 |
| Q: Are "la gran parte" and "la maggior parte" expressions that are both used to say "the most" and/or ... A: To answer your questions, yes 'la gran parte' and 'la maggior parte' are expressions used to say the ... | |
| maggior | 5/18/2008 |
| Q: I have encountered the phrase "ma per la maggior parte" in a textbook that I am using to study ... A: Now after seeing the whole sentence, the translation of 'la maggior parte' makes much more sense. ... | |
| maggior | 5/18/2008 |
| Q: I have encountered the phrase "ma per la maggior parte" in a textbook that I am using to study ... A: To start with, I have to say that 'maggiore' has a variety of meanings so it is difficult for me to ... | |
| non count nouns | 5/17/2008 |
| Q: In order to test my understanding, would you please tell me if I am correct in the following: ... A: Yes, you are basically correct with what you are saying. To reaffirm this, I would say that yes in ... | |
| love letter | 5/16/2008 |
| Q: Please translate this into Italian for me. I've kept my feelings for you contained for as long as I ... A: Here's the translation for you: Ho conservato i miei sentimenti per te il piu’ a lungo possibile. ... | |
| translation of | 5/16/2008 |
| Q: Can you help me with the translation of the word "terreni" in the following: L'attivita piu ... A: To be honest, it isn't wrong to say 'il terreno' however in this case 'i terreni' is used to make it ... | |
| translation of "terreni" | 5/16/2008 |
| Q: Can you help me with the translation of the word "terreni" in the following: L'attivita piu ... A: The translation would be: The most important activity is agriculture but the terrain isn't very ... | |
| "d'Italia" | 5/15/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand why the definite article is not used before "Italia" in the ... A: When you are saying 'of' plus a country that begins with a vowel, you never join the of to form ... | |
| relative superlative | 5/15/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand how to recognize the relative superlative. I understand that the relative ... A: I will try to explain this as clear as possible as it is quite difficult to explain this subject In ... | |
| Translation English to Italian | 5/15/2008 |
| Q: I am looking for someone to correct the grammar mistakes of these phrase. I need to send my CV today ... A: If you don't mind, I had to change the majority of what was written in Italian as it appears to have ... | |
| piu | 5/14/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the meaning and use of the word "piu" when "piu" is used as ... A: Sorry for not have been clearer in the first answer I gave :) Yes, vuoi piu' latte can always be ... | |
| piu | 5/14/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the meaning and use of the word "piu" when "piu" is used as ... A: The word piu has many uses. For example, when 'piu' appears before an adjective it is used to say ... | |
| seduta | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: Could you please tell me what the difference is between: "La donna e seduta." and "La donna e ... A: La donna e' seduta means 'the woman is sat down' La donna e' in seduta means 'the woman is sitting' ... | |
| essere in seduta | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: again, for your help with the verb "essere in piedi". Should I try to understand "essere in seduta" ... A: Yes you are absolutely correct. Just think of 'in seduta' in exactly the same way. Separetely it ... | |
| vivere abitare | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: Would you please explain the difference between "abitare" and "vivere"? My dictionary states that ... A: Although the sentence using 'vivere' isn't gramatically wrong, I would personally say that it is ... | |
| in piedi | 5/13/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand how "in piedi" relates to it's English translation in the following: Le ... A: The actual verb 'to stand' is - stare in piedi where as 'in piedi' means 'standing' literally 'on ... | |
| use of "in" | 5/12/2008 |
| Q: Is the Italian preposition "in" articulated when used before continents and Italian regions? For ... A: There is a slight difference when referring to continents as it depends on the circumstances as to ... | |
| articulated article | 5/12/2008 |
| Q: It is my understanding that the Italian preposition "in" is used to say "in", "at", or "to" a place ... A: You are correct that in certain circumstances such as countries, you would just say 'in' without ... | |
| definite article | 5/10/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the definite article with titles. It is my understanding that ... A: Yes the definite article is included before a title when talking about a person but not if you speak ... | |
| comparisons | 5/9/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have translated the following correctly: Il molise e una delle piu ... A: In the sentence example that you have shown me above, when 'di' becomes articulated with 'le' to ... | |
| noun or adjective | 5/9/2008 |
| Q: I have recently been studying Italian words for nationalities in statements such as "Io sono ... A: In this case the word Italian would be an adjective because it's describing something that the ... | |
| preposition | 5/9/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the preposition "da" can be used to say "from" when expressing "distance ... A: Yes you are totally correct. Da wll always follow lontano to show that something is far from ... | |
| preposition | 5/9/2008 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the preposition "a" can be used to express distance in an Italian sentence ... A: In regards to vicino, you are correct in saying that a will always follow it when talking about ... | |
| definite article | 5/9/2008 |
| Q: I have a question about using the definite article with names of countries. I thought that the ... A: You have found a very isolated example of when just Italia is said without the article coming before ... | |
| comparisons | 5/8/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have translated the following correctly: Il molise e una delle piu ... A: I have to tell you that I can't fault what you have wrote at all. It shows perfect understanding of ... | |
| preposition "da" | 5/7/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the preposition "da" can be used to say "from" when expressing "distance ... A: Yes you are also correct in this case that 'da' can be used to say how far away something is from ... | |
| preposition "a" | 5/7/2008 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the preposition "a" can be used to express distance in an Italian sentence ... A: Yes that is correct as 'a' can be used as a preposition for 'to' therefore the literal translation ... | |
| preposition "in" | 5/7/2008 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if it is true that the definite article is suppose to be omitted after the ... A: That is a very interesting question which I hadn't actually thought about before. I believe that ... | |
| definite article | 5/5/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand why the definite article is included before the word "appartamento" in ... A: In the sentence that you showed me 'le donne non hanno libri' the reason why it is stated this way ... | |
| definite article | 5/5/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand why the definite article is included before the word "appartamento" in ... A: To be honest, although in English we wouldn't say 'in the apartment 8' it is simply just the ... | |
| translation | 5/4/2008 |
| Q: A textbook that I am using (in a home study of Italian) states that "educazione" means "upbringing". ... A: Educazione is a false friend as most people presume that the principal meaning of it is education. ... | |
| translation | 5/4/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the use of "per" before an infinitive as in the following: "per occuparsi dei ... A: Whenever you see 'per' before an infinitive the meaning is 'in order to' So yes, you are correct ... | |
| poter stare | 5/3/2008 |
| Q: My question is about "poter stare". Would you please tell me if this is translated as: "to be able ... A: Poter stare would translate as 'to be able to be' Although 'stare' can indeed mean 'to stay' in this ... | |
| Translation? | 5/3/2008 |
| Q: I wanted to know if you could tell me the translation of the word "MOM" from english to Italian? I'm ... A: If I'm honest the way that I would say 'mom' is in italian is simply 'mamma' or to be more formal ... | |
| Italian words with 'sh" | 5/2/2008 |
| Q: My question is about Italian words that contain "sh" such as "shampoo". Is it true that such words ... A: Yes it is true that the majority of sh words are of foreign origin and mainly English words. ... | |
| song | 5/2/2008 |
| Q: I have been trying to figure out the lyrics once again for another Laura Pausini song but I am ... A: No problem :) Here's the translation for you. Non riusciamo a stare soli mai (we never manage to be ... | |
| translations | 5/2/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following: I came across the word "indifferentemente" in a ... A: To be honest personally I have only ever heard 'indifferentemente' being used to mean ... | |
| use of | 5/1/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the phrase "rapporto di coppia". Am I correct in thinking ... A: I think I understand what you are trying to ask :) so I'll try to answer it to the best of my ... | |
| use of "di" for specification | 5/1/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the phrase "rapporto di coppia". Am I correct in thinking ... A: To start, the preposition 'di' is commonly used in Italian in a way that if it was translated into ... | |
| rolling r's | 4/30/2008 |
| Q: Could you please give me your opinion as to how important it will be for me to develop the ability ... A: Don't worry, I can assure you that lacking the ability to roll r's will not overall affect the way ... | |
| sempre piu | 4/28/2008 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if "sempre piu" is considered to be an adverb? If yes, can "sempre piu" ... A: To be honest, 'sempre piu' can be considered in many ways as sometimes it can substitute for an ... | |
| translation | 4/27/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the translation of the following sentence: "...anche perche oggi ... A: Your translation is nearly correct. It would mean: also because nowadays, men and woman are getting ... | |
| rimanere | 4/26/2008 |
| Q: Could you please help me with the following: When "rimanere" is followed by another verb, is this ... A: You are pretty much correct with what you are saying above: when rimanere is followed by a verb it ... | |
| song | 4/26/2008 |
| Q: Lauren, Sorry to bother you again but I have another song that I hope you can help me with the ... A: It's no problem really. I am happy to answer any questions that you have. Please see below, the ... | |
| translation | 4/26/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the translation of the following "sentence: "I figli rimangono a lungo a ... A: Your translation of the sentence is nearly correct. However to make it flow better in English, I ... | |
| verbs and nouns | 4/26/2008 |
| Q: Could you please tell me the translation and etymology of "vagheggiare", "abbacchiare", ... A: Vagheggiare would translate as 'to long for' The etymology of this word links from 'vago' which is ... | |
| song translation | 4/25/2008 |
| Q: Lauren, I enjoy listening to Laura Pausini but I have trouble translating her lyrics into English. ... A: Yes, I am happy to translate the song for you as I know it can be quite frustrating when you are ... | |
| translation | 4/25/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the translation of the following sentence: "Cercano di mangiare a ... A: No it isn't just used with the infinitive: cercare di is used in every tense for every person. For ... | |
| definite article | 4/25/2008 |
| Q: First of all - thank you for your help with my recent questions. I am sorry to bother you again, ... A: It's no problem to ask me as many questions as you like :) You are correct that technically whenever ... | |
| translation | 4/24/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the translation of the following sentence: "Cercano di mangiare a ... A: The sentence translates as they try to eat at the table with them Cercare is always followed by di, ... | |
| translation and structure | 4/23/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the meaning and structure of the following sentence and hope that you ... A: Yes, the reflexive is always a tricky subject to master. As you have realised, it isn’t always ... | |
| translation and structure | 4/22/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the meaning and structure of the following sentence and hope that you ... A: The correct translation of the sentence is, "Mothers who look after children." Occuparsi does mean ... | |
Italian Language
Answers by Expert:
Lauren O' Hagan
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Although not my mother tongue, I have spoken Italian fluently for more than 10 years so I am very confident to answer any questions about the Italian language. I am also competent in Roman Dialect if there are any questions relating to this.
Experience
I received an A* in my GCSE and completed my A Level in 1 year with a Level A ranking me as the top Italian student in the country. Degree in Modern Foreign Languages (English, Spanish, Italian, French) Carried out many translation jobs for a wide range of clients and topics including self-help, literature and exam papers. For personal reference, I have also translated Federico Moccia's Tre Metri Sopra Il Cielo and 2 of Francesco Totti's book.
Publications
El Pensador, University of Bristol
Education/Credentials
See expertise section
Awards and Honors
Letter of recognition from the Italian consulate
Past/Present Clients
ZigZag Education
Ultimate Lifestyle Project
Victor Lujan
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