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Italian Language/Questions Answered by Expert Maria
| Subject | Date Asked |
| the verb "dare" | 2/10/2012 |
| Q: I have seen the verb "dare", to give, and the verb "donare", to give. Am I confused, or are these ... A: the verb “dare” and the verb “donare” are not two forms of the same verb nor have the same meaning, ... | |
| asking questions | 2/9/2012 |
| Q: Can you please tell me which verb tense or tenses can be used to ask questions in Italian. I am ... A: First of all I have to point out that "Mi dà una ricevuta, per favore?" means “Do you give me a ... | |
| Meaning of an Italian expression | 2/8/2012 |
| Q: In the movie Fatso, Anne Bancroft used the expression (I'm not sure of the spelling)casciabang'. ... A: FOLLOW UP Hello again Stephen, by the light of what you have told me in your kind rating, i.e. that ... | |
| translation | 2/7/2012 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence that came from my computer course: "Mi dá una ricevuta ... A: Actually the verb form “dà” in "Mi dà una ricevuta per favore?" must be written with a grave ... | |
| phrase | 2/4/2012 |
| Q: What does pelo mean in "il sacco a pelo"? Thanks a million. A: in “il sacco a pelo” which is a sleeping bag , i.e. “ a large, warmly lined, usually zippered bag ... | |
| talking about cheese | 2/2/2012 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand the correct way to talk about cheese in Italian? My computer ... A: The phrase "un po' di gorgonzola, per favore" is correct, as this cheese, originally produced since ... | |
| tu form of imperative for andare | 2/1/2012 |
| Q: My question is about the tu form of the imperative for the verb andare. I am not sure if this form ... A: The “tu” form of the imperative for the verb “andare” is not “và” which is absolutely wrong, but ... | |
| use of: "Occhio però all'acqua alta!" | 1/31/2012 |
| Q: Your answers have helped me very much. I can never thank you enough for your help. I hope that you ... A: The adversative conjunction “però” in the statement "Occhio però all'acqua alta!" we read in the ... | |
| translations | 1/30/2012 |
| Q: Can you please help me with some questions about the dialogue that is included below. I am ... A: Actually the translation “No thanks, but it's very kind" for "No grazie, molto gentile" is ... | |
| use of "la" e "là" | 1/29/2012 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following sentence: "Posso accompagnarla?" My computer courser ... A: you are right: the correct translation for "Posso accompagnarla?" where "accompagnarla" is a ... | |
| use of preposition "in" | 1/28/2012 |
| Q: The computer course that I am using to study Italian states that the words "città" (city), ... A: It is true that the words "città", "campagna", and "montagna" use the preposition "in" as in:”in ... | |
| object of the infinitive | 1/27/2012 |
| Q: Would you please help me with some questions about the following sentence: "Voglio viaggiare per il ... A: It is so: in the sentence "Voglio viaggiare per il mondo" (I want to travel through the world) "per ... | |
| "diritto" e "dritto" | 1/26/2012 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the words: "diritto" and "dritto". My computer course used ... A: First of all "diritto" and "dritto" are just different forms for the same word, since “dritto” is ... | |
| Football teams | 1/25/2012 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there are any rules about the gender of Italian clubs? I can see why it's ... A: Actually there is no set rule about the gender of Italian clubs as this gender depends on what is ... | |
| identification of Italian direct object pronouns | 1/24/2012 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if "mi" is a direct object pronoun in the following sentence: "Può ... A: It is exactly the same in Italian where direct objects can be identified by asking "what" or "whom" ... | |
| stato in luogo | 1/23/2012 |
| Q: I am having a difficult time translating "complementi di stato in luogo". Can you please help me ... A: I am glad to have helped you with your previous questions. As for the indirect object we call ... | |
| use of "centro" | 1/22/2012 |
| Q: Can you please tell me why the preposition "in" is articulated in the following sentence: "Abito nel ... A: In Italian we say “Abito in centro” without including the definite article, if “in centro” in not ... | |
| use of "con affetto" | 1/21/2012 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what type of "complemento indiretto" is "con affetto" (with love) when this ... A: You are right: “con affetto" (with love) when this expression is used as a complimentary close to a ... | |
| use of "vada" | 1/20/2012 |
| Q: Would you please help me to better understand the following statement by Captain Gregorio De Falco: ... A: In the peremptory order "Vada a bordo" used very rightly by Captain De Falco the verb "vada" is ... | |
| scusare | 1/19/2012 |
| Q: My question is about the verb "scusare". In the past, I had thought that the "imperative" of ... A: the "imperative" of "scusare" is just used to excuse oneself. Therefore the verb forms of the ... | |
| vigile del fuoco | 1/18/2012 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand the construction: "vigile del fuoco" To help my ... A: It is so: "vigile del fuoco" is composed of the complemento indiretto "del fuoco" that follows and ... | |
| imperative/subjunctive | 1/17/2012 |
| Q: I am trying to understand how to classify the verb forms that are sometimes called the "hortatory ... A: Strictly speaking, the verb forms listed as the 3rd person singular, the 1st person plural, and the ... | |
| use of "prima" and "seconda" | 1/16/2012 |
| Q: My question is about how to correctly use the words "la prima" and "la seconda" when talking about ... A: in “Prenda la seconda a destra” (Take the second turning on the right) or “Prenda la prima a destra” ... | |
| use of "uva" | 1/14/2012 |
| Q: My question is about the word "uva". Can you please tell me how to translate the word "uva". I was ... A: the word "uva", which is a feminine singular noun, can only be translated into the English plural ... | |
| "castel" | 1/13/2012 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the word "castel" in "Castel Gandolfo" is a way to say "castello" in a ... A: the word "castel" in "Castel Gandolfo"(Castle of the Gandolfi family) is just an apocopation ... | |
| spaghetto del carbonaio | 1/12/2012 |
| Q: I recently read the following sentence in my computer course on Italian: "Of course, there are many ... A: Actually “carbonara” in “spaghetti alla carbonara” is a feminine adjective agreed with the implied ... | |
| spaghetto del carbonaio | 1/11/2012 |
| Q: I recently read the following sentence in my computer course on Italian: "Of course, there are many ... A: Firstly Fratticiola, also known as Fratticiola Selvatica, is a “frazione”, i.e. a type of ... | |
| use of "sigor" and "signore" | 1/10/2012 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand the difference between the Italian words "signor" and "signore" ... A: first of all in the masculine noun “signor” there is a “troncamento”, i.e. the loss of the ... | |
| comune | 1/9/2012 |
| Q: I am trying to understand what is meant by a "comune". Can you please tell me if there is a ... A: yes, there is a difference between a "comune" and a "città", since the “comune” is just a level of ... | |
| capitalization | 1/3/2012 |
| Q: Can you please tell me why the word "sagra" is capitalized in the first sentence of following ... A: actually the noun “sagra” should not have been capitalized in the paragraph you mention where it is ... | |
| Song in Italian | 12/22/2011 |
| Q: I recently heard the song "Prefeto Non Saro" by Demis Roussos, and subsequently found it in English ... A: here’s the song “Profeta non sarò” performed in Italian by Demi Roussos, as you can hear at the ... | |
| prepositions | 12/21/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the preposition "a" is ever used with the terms "centro" and "centro ... A: first of all we usually say “Vado in centro”, not “Vado in centro città”, as the expression “centro ... | |
| use of prepositions | 12/20/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the use of a preposition with the name of an Italian region in order to say ... A: You must use the preposition "in", not “a” and therefore you must say: ”in Puglia”, “in Piemonte”, ... | |
| words and verbs | 12/19/2011 |
| Q: Hello. --What do you call "incense stick" in Italian and what verbs do you use with "incense ... A: Here are my answers: -1st.”What do you call "incense stick" in Italian and what verbs do you use ... | |
| use of preposition "in" | 12/18/2011 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following is correct or not: [1] The preposition "in" is used with ... A: it is correct to state that the preposition "in" is used with names of islands to say "in", "at" or ... | |
| Personalities | 12/17/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me why female personalities in Italy are referred to with "la", eg la Panicucci? ... A: female personalities in Italy are referred to with "la", e.g. “la Duse”, “la Loren”, “la Maraini”, ... | |
| use of "a" with "scuola" | 12/15/2011 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following is correct or not? (I am trying to make sure that I ... A: I think that you have understood the correct use of the preposition "a" with the noun "scuola", ... | |
| phrases | 12/14/2011 |
| Q: Hi. Does "dare mano" mean to give sb a hand? How do you say "shake hands" in Italian? Thanks a ... A: “to shake hands with somebody” or “to shake someone’s hands” is “stringere la mano a qualcuno” in ... | |
| names of cities | 12/13/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following? I am trying to understand if there exists an ... A: First of all I have to tell you that there is no international system for the names of cities, and ... | |
| interjection "ah" | 12/12/2011 |
| Q: Your answer has helped me very much. Can you also please help me to understand whether or not the ... A: the Italian interjection "ah" has a different meaning than do the Italian interjection "o" used in ... | |
| interjections - "O" e "Oh" | 12/10/2011 |
| Q: I hope that you will not mind helping me with the following questions: Can you please tell me if ... A: First of all the Italian interjections “oh” and “o” are not pronounced the same since “oh” used to ... | |
| vocative csse | 12/9/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentences: Carmen, di dov'è Lei? Carmen, where are you from? ... A: You are right: the Italian sentences you mention are examples of the "vocative" case as the name ... | |
| "di dove" | 12/8/2011 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the difference between the interrogative adverb "dove" and the expression ... A: the expression ”di dove” as in “Di dove sei?” (Where are you from?) or “Da dove” as in “Non so da ... | |
| Christmas Card | 12/7/2011 |
| Q: I was wondering if you would be able to translate this for me. It is from a Christmas Card. (I want ... A: Italian Christmas greetings are correct, apart from the first word which is “Torna”, not “Corna”, of ... | |
| case | 12/6/2011 |
| Q: Thanks to you, I now understand what is meant by "case". Your Latin examples were wonderful. I ... A: It is so: only the "nominative case" and the "vocative case" exist in Italian because a ... | |
| vocative case | 12/5/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the "vocative case" exists in Italian? Thank you. Sincerely, Rich ... A: By my answer I wanted to mean that Latin has a vocative case that is identified by a special ending ... | |
| vocative case | 12/4/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the "vocative case" exists in Italian? Thank you. Sincerely, Rich A: Yes, the vocative case exists in Italian, where it is used to indicate the person being addressed ... | |
| "aranciata" | 12/2/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand what is meant by the word "aranciata". I understand that ... A: the noun "aranciata" can indicate either a beverage of orange juice, sugar, and water ("orange ... | |
| Italian grammar in movie question | 11/30/2011 |
| Q: I just watched the movie called - The American - with George Clooney and I would like to know the ... A: The reason why, when George Clooney's character meets an Italian local and says - 'IL Americano' ... | |
| zucchina/o e calamari | 11/29/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what the difference is between "zucchino" (masculine noun) and "zucchina" ... A: Actually there is no difference between "zucchino" (masculine noun) and "zucchina" (feminine noun) ... | |
| verbs | 11/28/2011 |
| Q: What verbs shall I use with tagliaerba and Calligrafia? Thanks a lot. Cheers, Zahra A: the noun “tagliaerba” also called “tosaerba” (grass cutter or lawn mower just for cutting grass) ... | |
| use of "ecco" | 11/26/2011 |
| Q: I have previously learned that one of the ways that the Italian adverb "ecco" can be used is as a ... A: You are right: one of the ways that the Italian adverb "ecco" can be used is as a mild exclamation ... | |
| expressions | 11/25/2011 |
| Q: 1. Please explain the meaning of the following expressions to me. Thanks. Era forte come una ... A: -“Era forte come una vecchia quercia” means that somebody is very strong and then is as solid as ... | |
| "pure" | 11/24/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the Italian adverb "pure". My dictionary categorizes one of the meanings of ... A: the Italian adverb "pure" has a "concessive meaning" when it is used to modify a verb as in:"Vada ... | |
| Maria, tu sei per me la vita | 11/22/2011 |
| Q: Buon giorno, Maria, I would very much like to have the Italian lyrics for "Maria, tu sei per me la ... A: Here’s the Italian lyrics for "Maria, tu sei per me la vita", as sung by Beniamino Gigli at the link ... | |
| subjunctive | 11/21/2011 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have translated the following correctly and if I have correctly ... A: Here are my answers: -"Penso che tu venga" (I think that you are coming) - second person singular ... | |
| trees | 11/20/2011 |
| Q: I am glad of your attention. I was thinking about some tree expressions in English and ended up ... A: in Italian we use the noun “albero” just meaning “tree” in some expressions such as “albero ... | |
| expressions | 11/18/2011 |
| Q: I asked this question from another expert but I got no reply. So, I am seeking your help. What are ... A: in the colloquial/informal language we can say “ aquila”, “drago”,“cima”,“asso”,“fenomeno”, ... | |
| subjunctive | 11/17/2011 |
| Q: Your answers have helped me very, very much. I still have a small misunderstanding. I am trying ... A: In Italian the "subjunctive" is used to express the possibility that something may happen like in ... | |
| subjunctive | 11/16/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the "horatory subjunctive" A previously learned that the ... A: The hortatory (not ‘horatory’) subjunctive like “Prego, mi dica” or e.g. “Dica pure!” is used in ... | |
| complementi | 11/14/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there is a difference between a “complemento di mezzo” and a “complemento ... A: First of all there is a difference between a “complemento di mezzo” and a “complemento di modo” that ... | |
| di for specification | 11/13/2011 |
| Q: My question is about how to say "telephone number" in Italian. The reason that I am asking this ... A: First of all “Vuoi il mio numero di telefono?" is correct, while “Vuoi il mio numero del telefono?" ... | |
| use of "tutto" | 11/12/2011 |
| Q: When a waiter states: “È tutto?” (Is that all?) to a customer, can you please tell me if the word ... A: When a waiter states: “È tutto?” (Is that all?) to a customer, the word “tutto” is being used as a ... | |
| vocabulary | 11/11/2011 |
| Q: What is the equivalent word for "obituary" in Italian? Could please kindly give me some links to ... A: The equivalent word for "obituary" is “necrologio”, a masculine noun, whose plural is ”necrologi”. ... | |
| adverbs | 11/10/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if all types of Italian adverbs can be used to modify nouns and pronouns, or ... A: Generally speaking, only certain types of Italian adverbs, such as “focus adverbs” in English, can ... | |
| neanche | 11/9/2011 |
| Q: Would you please explain to me when to use the Italian adverb "neanche" to mean "not even" without ... A: The adverb “neanche” is used without including the adverb "non" in the same sentence when it ... | |
| use of "niente" | 11/7/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the pronoun “niente”. Can you please tell me if the pronoun “niente” can ever ... A: The indefinite pronoun “niente” meaning “nothing” can be used either with the adverb “non” or ... | |
| use of the adjective "extravergine" | 11/5/2011 |
| Q: Do Italians ever use the adjective “extravergine” as a colloquial way to refer to extra virgin ... A: It is so: we can use the adjective “extravergine” as a colloquial way to refer to extra virgin ... | |
| meaning of "chiava" | 11/4/2011 |
| Q: I was recently in a gelato store watching a movie about Italy and saw the word “chiava” written on ... A: Could you please tell me the title of such a movie about Italy where the word you mention is ... | |
| Prosciutto di Parma | 11/3/2011 |
| Q: I have been trying to better understand the terms “prosciutto” and “Prosciutto di Parma”. Can you ... A: actually the “prosciutto” is not a type of pork, but the upper part of a pork leg that has been ... | |
| words and verbs | 11/2/2011 |
| Q: 1. What is the meaning of "fare il punto"? Could you please define it and exemplify it? 2. Please ... A: here are my answers: 1.The idiomatic expression "fare il punto" means “to recapitulate/to sum up a ... | |
| translation | 11/1/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following paragraph that I copied from a book that I am reading: ... A: you have correctly understood the Italian in the paragraph you mention. So, it is correct to say ... | |
| pasta | 10/31/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the word “pasta”. Can you please explain how I can know when the word “pasta” ... A: First of all we say “pasta”/“la pasta” in sentences like “Vuoi della pasta?”, “Ho preparato la pasta ... | |
| use of the Italian prefix "anti" | 10/30/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the Italian prefix "anti" has a different meaning in Italian than it does ... A: With regard to the prefixes “anti-” and “ante-", the only one difference between English and Italian ... | |
| use of "giardiniera" | 10/25/2011 |
| Q: I hope that you will not mind another question about “pizza giardiniera”. To make sure that I ... A: It is so: the word “giardiniera” is a feminine noun that has two meanings: [1] Woman gardener [2] ... | |
| giardiniera | 10/24/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me with the following sentence that I found in my computer course - “Ma abbiamo ... A: It is so: “pizza giardiniera” means just “pizza topped with vegetables” and thus “pizza giardiniera ... | |
| giardiniera | 10/23/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me with the following sentence that I found in my computer course - “Ma abbiamo ... A: the phrase “Ma abbiamo una giardiniera con verdure” in the dialogue you mention refers to a kind of ... | |
| use of "all'italiana" | 10/21/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the expression “all’italiana” that is used to say “Italian style” as in the ... A: First of all the locution “all’italiana” is always in the feminine gender and singular number as ... | |
| passatutto | 9/12/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if you have ever heard of the word "passatutto"? My wife and I recently ... A: Actually the compound noun “passatutto”, that is composed of the verb "passare" (to grind/to mill/to ... | |
| "non mai" and "mai" | 9/11/2011 |
| Q: again, for all of your help with my previous questions. My question is about the expression ... A: It is so: both "non…...mai" and "mai" (without the adverb "non") mean "never", according to the ... | |
| use of non ...ancora | 9/10/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the word "ancora" when used with the adverb "non". My dictionary shows that ... A: Yes, "È ancora malato" translates as "He is still sick" as “ancora” (“still”) denotes that sickness ... | |
| use of "non...ancora" | 9/9/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the word "ancora" when used with the adverb "non". My dictionary shows that ... A: the adverb "ancora", when used with the negative "non", means just "not yet" as in the sentences: ... | |
| use of "niente" | 9/8/2011 |
| Q: I am trying to make sure that I correctly understand the use of "niente" in familiar speech where ... A: Here are my answers to your questions: [1] “When "niente" is used as an adjective in familiar ... | |
| use of "niente" | 9/7/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the word "niente" by telling me if the following is correct or not: ... A: Your statements are correct. The only thing I can add refers to the third point, i.e. -"Niente" is ... | |
| use of "nessuno" | 9/5/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me to better understand the indefinite pronoun "nessuno". I understand from ... A: As you say, the indefinite pronoun "nessuno" must always be used with the negative adverb "non" ... | |
| Small or little something | 9/4/2011 |
| Q: Ciao Maria I've noticed that Italians don't use the word "piccolo" much, preferring to add a ... A: Salve! Actually we often use the adjective “piccolo” as in “Mi ha dato un piccolo aiuto” (He gave ... | |
| definite article | 9/3/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if both of the following Italian sentences are equally correct in order to ... A: Only the sentence “Non parlo bene l'Italiano” (I don't speak Italian well) is correct, whereas “Non ... | |
| passive voice | 9/2/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following dictionary entry for the word "ah" that I have copied from my ... A: First of all the Italian phrase “è seguita dal punto esclamativo“ you have copied from your ... | |
| to be, essere or stare | 9/1/2011 |
| Q: I'm using Rosetta Stone but sometimes it is difficult to determine why they use what they use. I am ... A: You do not know when to use "essere" and when to use "stare" to mean "to be" simply because in ... | |
| how to say "seafood" | 8/31/2011 |
| Q: My question is about how to say "seafood" in Italian. Can you please tell me if there is a ... A: You are right: the singular form “frutto di mare” for “seafood” does not exist at all in Italian ... | |
| how to say "four cheese pizza" | 8/25/2011 |
| Q: Would you please tell me the correct way to say: "four cheese pizza" I am thinking that I should ... A: the correct way to say: "four cheese pizza" is “pizza ai quattro formaggi” where “ai” is the ... | |
| use of "e allora" | 8/24/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there is a difference in meaning between "allora" and "e allora" The ... A: Generally speaking,it is acceptable for you to say either "e allora" or "allora" whenever you need ... | |
| "e allora" | 8/23/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there is a difference in meaning between "allora" and "e allora" The ... A: Actually there is no difference in meaning between "allora" and "e allora" in the sentence you ... | |
| use of "ragazzi" | 8/22/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: "Ecco le pizze, ragazzi." My computer course has ... A: You have learned correctly that "ragazzi” is a term used for teenagers and adults up to 30 years ... | |
| Italian question | 8/21/2011 |
| Q: I have been looking for a translation for "life in every breath". So far i have found "vita in ogni ... A: "La vita in ogni alito" and "La vita in ogni respiro" are the same simply because both “alito” and ... | |
| use if "che" | 8/19/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the Italian interrogative pronouns - che, cosa, and che cosa (that mean ... A: the Italian singular interrogative pronouns "che", "cosa" and "che cosa" (that mean "what") can be ... | |
| use of "c'è" | 8/18/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the use of "c'è" in the following sentence: Cosa c'è in questa? My computer ... A: In the sentence “Cosa c'è in questa? “((What's in this one?) related to the ingredients of a ... | |
| DAI | 8/17/2011 |
| Q: Besides meaning "give", I believe it also means "come on", as in "ma dai". Is this correct? Also ... A: first of all you absolutely must not say “Ma dai” to a policeman who has stopped you for a driving ... | |
| classification of "altrettanto" | 8/16/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the word "altrettanto" when used as a response to "buon appetito" Can you ... A: the word "altrettanto" when used as a response to "Buon appetito" is classified as an adverb just ... | |
| To learn Italian | 8/15/2011 |
| Q: I'm chilean and my mother tongue is Spanish. I want to know, how you think is the better way to ... A: actually the best way to learn Italian is to attend an Italian course in Chile or to use some ... | |
| "forno a legna" | 8/13/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the phrase: "forno a legna" Would you please help me to translate "forno a ... A: “forno a legna” translates as “a wood burning oven” or “a wood fired oven” where the pizza is ... | |
| elsion | 8/12/2011 |
| Q: I am trying to understand if Port' is an elision of "Porta" in the restaurant name "Antica ... A: You are right in thinking that "porta" is not normally elided, and that "Port'Alba" in the ... | |
| trancia / trancio | 8/11/2011 |
| Q: once again, for your help with my previous question about "pizza al taglio" Thank you, also, for ... A: the masculine noun “trancio” has only one meaning, that is “slice” as in “a slice of bread”, whereas ... | |
| pizza al taglio | 8/10/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following phrase: "pizza al taglio" In order to test my understanding, ... A: here are my answers: [1]The expression “pizza al taglio" ((literally, “pizza by the cut”), also ... | |
| lasagna | 8/9/2011 |
| Q: Once again, thank you for your excellent answer and explanation to my question about "lasagna". To ... A: if you are using the word “strand” in the sense of a “layer” as in a cake layer, I have to tell you ... | |
| Hats & hair | 8/8/2011 |
| Q: If you want to say, "She has 3 hats," would you say "Lei ha 3 cappelli."? Wouldn't that be confused ... A: you are right: “She has 3 hats" translates as “Lei ha tre cappelli". As for your doubt about ... | |
| per favore and per piacere | 8/7/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the expressions "per favore" (please) and "per piacere" (please) I am ... A: The expressions "per favore" and "per piacere" used in polite requests are classified as ... | |
| lasagna e lasagne | 8/6/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if "lasagna" is classified as a non-count noun in Italian that can be used in ... A: "lasagna" is not classified as a non-count noun in Italian. It can be used, in fact, in both the ... | |
| Renato C | 8/5/2011 |
| Q: Ciao I am glad you are no longer "maxed out" after your holiday! For 50 yrs I have vaguely tried to ... A: Salve! As you know, Renato Carosone songs are written in Neapolitan dialect, not in Italian, and ... | |
| gnocchi al pomodoro | 8/4/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: "Oggi abbiamo gnocchi al pomodoron e lasagne al forno." ... A: in the sentence "Oggi abbiamo gnocchi al pomodoro e lasagne al forno" the expression "gnocchi al ... | |
| placement of adverb "solo" | 8/3/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: Abbiamo solo mozzarella. (We only have mozzarella) ... A: In the sentence “Abbiamo solo mozzarella” (We only have mozzarella) the word "solo" is being used as ... | |
| placement of subject | 8/1/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the subject is supposed to be placed after "ci sono" and "c'è" in both ... A: the subject is placed after "ci sono" and "c'è" in both declarative and interrogative sentences. ... | |
| use of "vero" | 7/21/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the word "vero" in the following sentence: "È una bella giornata, ... A: In the sentence:"È una bella giornata, vero?" the adjective “vero” is used at the end of this phrase ... | |
| adverb or adjective? | 7/20/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: "Ho molto sete." (I am very thirsty) where "molto" is ... A: As you have remarked, the phrase "Ho molto sete" is wrong, since we say correctly “Ho molta sete” ... | |
| Oretta,mesetto, annetto,etc | 7/19/2011 |
| Q: month,etc? I did wonder why, since an Italian hour is of the same duration as an English one. Same ... A: we Italians use the diminutive for hour, month and year when we want to say that e.g. we will arrive ... | |
| making a card for a lost family member | 7/15/2011 |
| Q: i am very close with my cousin Giovanni who lives in Italy. my great uncle Russo just passed away ... A: “Al temporale segue l’arcobaleno” is the best Italian translation for "There are only rainbows after ... | |
| imperative | 7/12/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the "imperative". Can you please tell me if the third person plural forms - ... A: the "hortatory subjunctive" is used when there is an exhortation as in “Amiamoci l’un l’altro!”(Let ... | |
| past participles | 7/11/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the pronunciation of the Italian past participle. Can you please tell me if ... A: It is so: the accent is always on the "a" of "ato" , the "u" of "uto" and the "i" of "ito" for the ... | |
| imperative | 7/10/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the "imperative". Can you please tell me if the third person plural forms - ... A: First of all here’s the correct conjugation chart for the Italian imperative: 1st. conjugation, ... | |
| E'vietato fumare and Vietato fumare | 7/9/2011 |
| Q: again, for your answer to my previous question about "nonsmoking". I have been studying this answer ... A: Yes, you are correct in saying that “è vietato” is in the passive voice because the subject "fumare" ... | |
| Magari | 7/8/2011 |
| Q: Maria Recently I've heard Magari a lot. Could you please explain its uses? As both an exclamation ... A: the Italian word “magari” can be an interjection/ exclamation as well as an adverb or a ... | |
| E'vietato fumare and Vietato fumare | 7/7/2011 |
| Q: again, for your answer to my previous question about "nonsmoking". I have been studying this answer ... A: In "E'vietato fumare" the verb “vietare” is used in the passive form and thus it has “essere” as its ... | |
| nonsmoking | 7/6/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if I should use the infinitive form of the verb "fumare" (to smoke) or if I ... A: In the expressions "sala fumatori", "carrozza fumatori" and "reparto fumatori" -that stand for ... | |
| alla Genovese | 7/5/2011 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I am correct in thinking that "alla Genovese" is an idiomatic expression ... A: You are correct in thinking that the literal translation of "alla Genovese" and "pesto alla ... | |
| nonsmoking | 7/4/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if I should use the infinitive form of the verb "fumare" (to smoke) or if I ... A: Actually we say “sala fumatori” (smoking room), “carrozza fumatori” (smoking compartment /carriage), ... | |
| translation/complemento | 7/3/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me to translate the following: "spaghetti con il pesto piccante" My computer ... A: Your computer course has translated "spaghetti con il pesto piccante" as "spaghetti with spicy ... | |
| sugo di pomodoro | 7/2/2011 |
| Q: I have encountered the expression "il sugo di pomodoro" (tomato sauce) In order to test my ... A: You are correct in thinking that "di pomodoro" in "sugo di pomodoro" is a "complemento di materia" ... | |
| use of "da" | 6/29/2011 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I am therefore correct in thinking that in the Italian language it is ... A: First, the use of the prepositions "da" (such as in ‘bottiglia da vino’ = wine bottle) and "di" ... | |
| "wine bottle" vs "bottle of wine" | 6/28/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me how to say "wine bottle" in Italian. By "wine bottle" - I mean an empty ... A: "wine bottle" in the sense of an empty bottle that could be used to hold wine, but is now empty, ... | |
| complemento | 6/26/2011 |
| Q: I think part of my inability to understand may be related to a problem that I may be having with ... A: Yes, "di used for specification" is the same thing as "complemento di specificazione". For ... | |
| complemento | 6/23/2011 |
| Q: I think I am starting to better understand the concept of a "complemento" as opposed to the use of ... A: First of all I have to tell you that we use the word "complemento" to indicate either a direct ... | |
| complementi | 6/22/2011 |
| Q: In order to test my understanding, would you please tell me if I am correct in thinking that the ... A: The "complemento di materia" is not the unique grammatical construction that existed in contrast ... | |
| "complemeto di materia" | 6/21/2011 |
| Q: In order to test my understanding, would you please tell me if I am correct in thinking that the ... A: You are correct in thinking that "di plastica" in "Questa sedia è di plastica"(This chair is ... | |
| With Faith Comes Hope | 6/20/2011 |
| Q: Could you please translate WITH FAITH COMES HOPE A: “With Faith Comes Hope” can be translated as follows: -“ Con la fede arriva la speranza” (literal) ... | |
| lyrics for a song | 6/19/2011 |
| Q: I am writing a song for a contest my school will be having next year. I want the choir to sing in ... A: Here are the Italian phrases you asked me: -“Vieni da me!” ( "Come to me!" ) -“Vola!” ("Fly!" ) ... | |
| complemento di materia | 6/17/2011 |
| Q: As usual, you have helped me very much!! Can you please tell me if a "complemento di material" is ... A: Actually an "attributivo" is not “a special construction that consists of the simple preposition ... | |
| complemento di materia | 6/16/2011 |
| Q: As usual, you have helped me very much!! Can you please tell me if a "complemento di material" is ... A: Actually in Italian we use the term “attributivo” as related to an adjective modifying a noun like ... | |
| di for specification | 6/15/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the phrase: "La Stella d'Oro" "La Stella d'Oro" is used as ... A: Actually in "La Stella d'Oro" used as the name of a ‘trattoria’ and correctly translated as "The ... | |
| use of "si" | 6/14/2011 |
| Q: I think I am still confused because I do not understand what the word "sì" modifies when it is used ... A: When an adverb of affirmation such as the word "sì" is used as an affirmative response in sentences ... | |
| use of "adverbs of affirmation" | 6/13/2011 |
| Q: My question is about "adverbs of affirmation". In my recent question about parsing you explained ... A: actually in Italian dictionaries the word "sì" is listed firstly as an adverb and secondly as an ... | |
| parsing | 6/12/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentences: [1] C'è un cinema in centro? (Is there a movie ... A: Here’s the correct parsing of “Sì, ce ne sono molti" (Yes, there are many of them): -“Sì“ = adverb ... | |
| use of "lo" | 6/11/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following dialogue from my computer course : Waiter: Cosa vuoi? ... A: the translation “Mmm, I do not know….a Campari” for “Mmm, non lo so…..un Campari” is correct. As ... | |
| imperative | 6/10/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there are any single syllable reflexive imperative verb forms. I recently ... A: It is true that, when attaching an object pronoun to the end of a single syllable imperative verb, ... | |
| partitive | 6/9/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if my understanding of "partitive article" and "partitive phrase", as I have ... A: 1-Yes, the "partitive article" is not the same as "partitive phrase" simply because a “partitive ... | |
| tu form of the imperative | 6/8/2011 |
| Q: My question is about verbs such as dare, fare, stare, andare, aiutare, venire, versare, and tacere ... A: The verbs 'dare', 'fare', 'stare', 'andare', when used in the affirmative imperative, 2nd.person ... | |
| use of "Come, prego?" | 6/6/2011 |
| Q: "Come, prego?" Can you please help me to understand this phrase? I am thinking that "Come, prego?" ... A: "Come, prego?" in the sentence “Come, prego? Vuoi restare da solo? Ho capito bene?” is equivalent to ... | |
| Vino Nobile di Montepulciano | 6/5/2011 |
| Q: My question is about "Vino Nobile di Montepulciano" Can you please tell me if the actual name of ... A: In “Vino Nobile di Montepulciano" the preposition "di" is used for specification (indicating ... | |
| solo da solo | 6/4/2011 |
| Q: I think I have only one question left to ask you about "solo" and "da solo". Can you please tell ... A: Generally speaking, “solo” and “da solo” as predicate adjectives to mean "alone" are ... | |
| solo | 6/3/2011 |
| Q: again, for all of your very gracious help with my questions about "da solo". I am slowly starting ... A: Actually it is not always true that "solo" means "only" when placed before a noun. For example, ... | |
| da solo | 6/2/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the expressions: "da solo" and "da soli" Would you please help me ... A: In Italian the preposition “da” placed before an adjective like “solo” in “da solo” or a noun like ... | |
| Welcome home? | 6/1/2011 |
| Q: my sister has just got home from a trip to Rome, and I'd like to greet her "welcome home" in ... A: “Bentornata a casa!” is the translation of “Welcome home!” just related to your sister on her return ... | |
| da solo | 5/31/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the expressions: "da solo" and "da soli" Would you please help me ... A: In the expressions "da solo" and "da soli" as in “Vive da solo” (He lives alone/ on his own), ... | |
| complementi indiretti | 5/30/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following phrase: "spaghetti fatto in casa" (spaghetti made in house) ... A: It is so: "complementi indiretti" are not used as adjectives or adverbs, but are used to modify ... | |
| a sentence to translate | 5/29/2011 |
| Q: Can you help me translate this sentence into English? I'm especially confused by the word "tir." ... A: first of all the word “tir” or TIR is an acronym of “Transports Internationaux Routiers”, three ... | |
| "spaghetti fato in casa" | 5/28/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following phrase: "spaghetti fatto in casa" (spaghetti made in house) ... A: First of all the correct phrase is "spaghetti fatti in casa" (spaghetti made in the home /homemade ... | |
| alla marinara | 5/27/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me how to grammatically classify the phrase "alla marinara"? I was wondering ... A: the expression “alla marinara” is grammatically classified as a “locuzione avverbiale”, though ... | |
| alla marinara | 5/26/2011 |
| Q: Your explanation has helped me very much. I also really appreciate the "Spaghetti alla Marinara" ... A: In the Italian expression "alla marinara" (abbreviation of "alla maniera marinara"), as well as in ... | |
| alla marinara | 5/25/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand the expression "alla marinara". My dictionary states that ... A: First of all I have to tell you that we can use the idiomatic expression "alla marinara" ... | |
| apostrophe | 4/17/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following sentence: L'appuntamento è per 1'1:50 I am thinking ... A: We write “L'appuntamento è per l'1.50 “ meaning exactly “The appointment is at 1:50 p.m.”. We ... | |
| translation | 4/16/2011 |
| Q: My question is about "fatemi sapere" in the following sentence: "Fatemi sapere se volete venire" ... A: In "Fatemi sapere se volete venire" the verb "fatemi" is the 2nd person plural, imperative form of ... | |
| indirect object pronouns | 4/15/2011 |
| Q: In trying to understand the use of the verb "interessare", I have realized that I am still confused ... A: your understanding is correct: Italian indirect object pronouns can translate into English as ... | |
| interessare | 4/14/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me some more with the verb "interessare"? There are several things that are ... A: In Italian the verb “interessare“ can be: 1-transitive as in “Questo argomento interessa chi ama la ... | |
| translation | 4/13/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the following statement: "se vi interessa questo concerto" ... A: "Se vi interessa questo concerto" means exactly :"If this concert interests you" or “If this ... | |
| sentire | 4/11/2011 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the use of the verb "sentire" in comparison to the verbs "fare", "avere", ... A: in Italian we can use indifferently the verb “sentire” and the verb “avere” in regards to weather ... | |
| declination | 4/10/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the words "declination" and "declension" I first encountered the word ... A: Please accept my apologies for using the term “declination” when I wrote “the “–ire” verbs ... | |
| preposition "in" | 4/7/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the Italian preposition "in" with Italian words for colors. Can you ... A: It is true that the Italian preposition "in" is used with words for colors the same way that the ... | |
| pronunciation | 4/6/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me to learn the correct pronunciation of the "isc" verbs. It is my ... A: all your endings and accent locations are correct and apply to all the verbs you call "isc" ... | |
| translation | 4/5/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: "E ora, ragazze?" I found this sentence in a novel ... A: in the interrogative sentence "E ora, ragazze?" ( “What now, girls?” ) the expression "e ora" whose ... | |
| volere | 4/3/2011 |
| Q: My question is about how to translate the verb "volere". I have learned in the past that the verb ... A: You are right in saying that the verb "volere" is used in the present conditional to say what ... | |
| domandi | 3/30/2011 |
| Q: Could you please tell me if these sentences are correct? "sono avvocati e vivono con IL LORO ... A: some of these Italian sentences are correct, whereas others are wrong and must be modified as ... | |
| qualcosa | 3/27/2011 |
| Q: I am trying to better understand the word "qualcosa". Can you please tell me if I am correct in ... A: you are correct in thinking that "qualcosa" (contracted/short form of "qualche cosa") is an ... | |
| "alcol" and "alcool" | 3/24/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand how Italians use the words "alcol" and "alcool" Are both of ... A: in Italian we use “alcol” and “alcool” both used interchangeably and equally to refer to "drinking ... | |
| "giorno" vs giornata" | 3/23/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the difference between the masculine noun "giorno" and the ... A: Generally speaking, the difference between the masculine noun "giorno" and the feminine noun ... | |
| prego | 3/22/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the word "prego" is ever used to say "please". Please see the last line ... A: In the first line of the dialogue you mention, i.e. “Buongiorno. Prego?” (Good morning. What would ... | |
| indefinite article | 3/21/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there is any difference in meaning between the following statements: "Non ... A: We say "Non c'è problema" without the indefinite article before the noun “problema” when we want ... | |
| prepositions, articles, and geographic names | 3/20/2011 |
| Q: Ciao, Maria-- I am confused about whether to use, or not to use, an article after the preposition ... A: first of all I have to tell you that in Italian we can say both "Cieli di Toscana" ( with the ... | |
| use of "che" | 3/19/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following sentence: Si sente che c'è un po'd'alcool, ma è molto ... A: the word "che” in the sentence “Si sente che c'è un po' d' alcool, ma è molto buono” is not a ... | |
| beverage terms | 3/18/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what the difference is between saying "analcolico" and "non alcolico" in ... A: first of all in everyday language there is no difference between "bevanda" and "bibita" just to ... | |
| maiuscolo | 3/13/2011 |
| Q: I recently was searching the internet for Italian capitalization rules and found the following ... A: In "Maiuscola in Italiano" the word "maiuscola" is simply the feminine form of the adjective ... | |
| ospedale centrale | 3/12/2011 |
| Q: I still do not completely understand. I hope you will not mind the following questions. When you ... A: Generally speaking, the "central hospital" (ospedale centrale) is in a more central geographic ... | |
| di for specification | 3/11/2011 |
| Q: I recently saw the phrase "Il piatto del giorno". (This phrase was not used as part of a sentence) ... A: The expression "Il piatto del giorno" means just “The dish of the day”, as it indicates the recipe ... | |
| ospedale centrale | 3/10/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what the difference is between "ospedale" and "ospedale centrale". I ... A: Actually we say “ospedale” when talking in general, without referring to a specific hospital, ... | |
| use of - Che c'è? | 3/9/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the expressions "Che c'è?" "Cosa c'è?" and "Che cosa c'è?" are only used ... A: We use the colloquialisms "Che c'è?" "Cosa c'è?" and "Che cosa c'è?" only to express "you" as in ... | |
| c'è or avere | 3/8/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me how the use of "c'è" or "avere" in expressions such as "Che cosa c'è?" and ... A: the colloquial expressions “Che c'è?" / "Cosa c'è?" / "Che cosa c'è?"/ “Cosa c'è che non va?” ... | |
| pronouns | 3/3/2011 |
| Q: I am so glad that I now finally understand this correctly. Can you please tell me if this same ... A: yes, the "Vi" in "Desideriamo ringraziarVi per quanto avete fatto per noi” is a "Plural Direct ... | |
| pronouns | 3/2/2011 |
| Q: I am so glad that I now finally understand this correctly. Can you please tell me if this same ... A: 1-Here are the correct form of Subject Pronouns: -io I (1st.person singular) -tu you – ... | |
| asking questions with tu,Lei, voi, and Loro forms | 2/28/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me to test my understanding by telling me if the following is correct or not: ... A: Here are my answers so that you can to test your understanding: [1]"Quando sei aperto?" (When are ... | |
| asking questions | 2/27/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: "Quando siete aperti?" (When are you open?) Can you ... A: In the sentence "Quando siete aperti?" (When are you open?) you are correct in thinking that the ... | |
| avere, fare, e essere | 2/26/2011 |
| Q: I am very sorry to bother you again, but I need to ask a follow-up question. I do not completely ... A: Here are my answers: 1-“Ha freddo” means “He /she/ is cold” or “He/she feels cold”, just to say ... | |
| "avere" o "fare" | 2/25/2011 |
| Q: In order to test my understanding, would you please tell me if the following is correct or not: If ... A: If someone asks you "Is the water hot?" (“E’ calda l’acqua?”) referring to the water in a bathing ... | |
| modal verb | 2/24/2011 |
| Q: Mt question is about the following sentence: "Facciamo una passeggiata?" My computer course has ... A: As far as I know, the modal verb “shall” is chiefly used in first person invitations and questions ... | |
| use of avere | 2/22/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentences: "Fa brutto tempo!" "Fa bel tempo." My computer ... A: the verb "avere" cannot be used instead of "fare” in "Fa brutto tempo!"( It's horrible weather!) and ... | |
| "che cosa" and "avere" | 2/21/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the use of "che cosa" with "avere" to ask "what's the matter". My computer ... A: Your computer course is right in stating that in order to ask "what's the matter" one must use the ... | |
| adverbs | 2/20/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there are any general rules to follow about the placement of adverbs that ... A: It is so: all adverbs that modify another adverb are placed before this adverb as in “Si è espresso ... | |
| last name | 2/19/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me how to make a last name (surname) plural in Italian. For example, in English ... A: while in English you can write or say: "I said goodbye to the Nixons" where the last name (surname) ... | |
| avere bisogno di | 2/18/2011 |
| Q: My question is about using "avere bisogno di" to say what you need. Can you please tell me if ... A: If you say "Ho bisogno della carta", this sentence means:"I need the paper", since you are saying ... | |
| verb tense | 2/17/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the following statements and translations that I found in my computer course: ... A: in “Ha un tavolo fuori?” and “Ne ho solo dentro” the Italian present indicative is not equivalent ... | |
| pronunciation | 2/16/2011 |
| Q: Will you please review the pronunciation of the third person plural verb forms? Are the following ... A: Here are the correct accents and pronunciation of the third person plural verb forms you mention: ... | |
| volere | 2/15/2011 |
| Q: I found the following statement in a computer course that I am using to study Italian: The verb ... A: The statement you found in the computer course that you are using to study Italian is correct, ... | |
| complemento | 2/14/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following sentence: "Faccio anche traduzioni." (I also do ... A: in the sentence "Faccio anche traduzioni" the "complemento oggetto" is the one word "traduzioni" ... | |
| complemento | 2/13/2011 |
| Q: I am still trying to make sure that I understand that a complemento refers to just some words - a ... A: Your understanding is correct. As you say, in fact, in the sentence: "Faccio traduzioni" (I do ... | |
| definite article | 2/12/2011 |
| Q: Could you please help me to better understand the placement of the definite article before names of ... A: Generally speaking, we can say that the definite article is not used before the name of a language ... | |
| "vicino" | 2/11/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me to better understand the placement and the meaning of the adverb "vicino" I ... A: when the word “vicino” is used as an adverb, it is always placed after the adverb it modifies as in ... | |
| complemento | 2/10/2011 |
| Q: I hope you will not mind another question about the term "complemento". Can you please tell me if I ... A: as I have already said, the Italian word "complemento" like in the “complemento di causa”, ... | |
| complemento | 2/8/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me with another question about the "complemento". Would you please tell me if ... A: First of all I have to point out that the Italian noun “frase” is “a grammatical unit that is ... | |
| di | 2/7/2011 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand how the preposition "di" is being used in the following ... A: In the sentence "Sono addetto al marketing di una società locale" the preposition “di” is used to ... | |
| addirsi | 2/6/2011 |
| Q: As usual, your explanation was a huge help to me. Could you please help me with the verb: ... A: in the sentence "Sono addetto alla sicurezza" the word "addetto" is used as an adjective like in "E' ... | |
| addirsi | 2/5/2011 |
| Q: As usual, your explanation was a huge help to me. Could you please help me with the verb: ... A: "addirsi" –meaning “to suit” or “be suitable for” - is a defective verb which uses only the 3rd. ... | |
| verbs | 2/4/2011 |
| Q: Can you please explain what the difference is between "defective" and "impersonal" Italian verbs. ... A: the difference between "defective" and "impersonal" Italian verbs is that the defective verbs ... | |
| use of "anche" | 2/3/2011 |
| Q: I have been trying to learn how to correctly place the word "anche" in sentences. I have found this ... A: "Insegno italiano e faccio anche traduzioni" is correct, while "Insegno italiano e anche faccio ... | |
| di solito | 2/2/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand the phrase "di solito" that is used in the following sentence: ... A: Although in Italian both the "complemento" and the "locuzione avverbiale" can be composed of a ... | |
| di solito | 2/1/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand the phrase "di solito" that is used in the following sentence: ... A: Actually “di solito” used in the sentence “Io di solito vado a Londra per lavoro” translates as ... | |
| che | 1/29/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the word "che" can function as an interrogative adverb that means "what". ... A: Actually “che” (what) cannot function as an interrogative adverb. When we use “che” in a direct / ... | |
| correct pronunciation | 1/28/2011 |
| Q: My question concerns the correct way to pronounce the verbs "concedere" and telefonare". I have ... A: As for the verb “concédere”, you have written the correct way of pronouncing its present indicative ... | |
| "quanto" as as interrogative adverb | 1/26/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the word "quanto" is being used as an interrogative adverb in the ... A: You are correct: the word "quanto" is being used as an interrogative adverb in the sentence "Quanto ... | |
| essere stare | 1/25/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the use of "essere" and "stare" in the following sentences: "Lei è qui in ... A: Actually the use of "essere" and "stare" in "Lei è qui in vacanza?" (Are you here on vacation?) ... | |
| "Che cosa fa?" | 1/24/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the translation of the Italian sentence: "Che cosa fa?" It is my ... A: it is so: in the Italian sentence "Che cosa fa?" the "present indicative" can be translated as ... | |
| capitalization | 1/23/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the 'd' of the "di" and "da" used in surnames such as Leonardo Da Vinci ... A: You must write correctly “Leonardo da Vinci” as the preposition “da” followed by the place name ... | |
| autobus | 1/22/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there is any difference in meaning between "stazione dell'autobus" and ... A: the only difference between "stazione dell'autobus" and "stazione degli autobus" or "fermata ... | |
| use of | 1/20/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the translation of the word “ecco” that is used in the last sentence of the ... A: you are right in thinking that in Italian a direct object pronoun is attached to "ecco", and that ... | |
| use of "ecco" and "eccola" | 1/19/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the translation of the word “ecco” that is used in the last sentence of the ... A: the last sentence of the dialogue you mention, i.e. :”Grazie. Ecco dieci euro” translates correctly ... | |
| di for specification | 1/17/2011 |
| Q: I hope you will not mind a follow up question about this same topic. Can you please tell me if it ... A: I think it is better to start from the examples so that you can better understand that it is the ... | |
| proper syllable stress/pronunciation/etymology of our family name | 1/16/2011 |
| Q: Maria - I read your thorough answer about surnames to another question. I was wondering if you ... A: Salve! Actually the surname Musillami is quite rare as we find it only in 10 places all over ... | |
| di for specification | 1/15/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand why the di used for specification is articulated in "fermata ... A: Actually we can say “stazione degli autobus” - where the preposition “di“ used for specification is ... | |
| Word meaning | 1/14/2011 |
| Q: Does the name / word "Gonzaga" mean anything in Italian? Thanks. A: the word “Gonzaga” means nothing in Italian. It is either a toponym, i.e. the place name of the ... | |
| Da quanto tempo! | 1/13/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the phrase: "Da quanto tempo!" I am thinking that in this phrase: "da" is a ... A: You are right in thinking that in the exclamatory phrase “Da quanto tempo!”: -"da" is a preposition ... | |
| imperative or subjunctive | 1/12/2011 |
| Q: My question is about the sentence: "Cosa facciamo?" which my computer course has translated as ... A: actually in the direct question clause "Cosa facciamo?" the verb “facciamo” is a present ... | |
| d'accordo | 1/10/2011 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if "d'accordo" is an elision of the preposition "da" with the masculine noun ... A: "d'accordo" is an elision of the preposition "di" (not “da”) with the masculine noun "accordo". ... | |
| grammar | 1/9/2011 |
| Q: Can you please help me with the following sentence: “Le vuole anche dire” (He also wants to tell ... A: “vuole dire” in the phrase “Le vuole anche dire…” (He also wants to tell her…) is not a compound ... | |
| chiamarsi | 12/9/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the verb “chiamarsi” is a “reflexive verb” or if “chiamarsi” is an ... A: As I’ve already told you, an Italian “intransitive pronominal verb” (verbo intransitivo pronominale) ... | |
| buonasera | 12/8/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the translation of the formal greetings: “buon giorno”, “buon pomeriggio”, ... A: the formal greetings: “Buon giorno”/”Buongiorno”, “Buon pomeriggio”, “Buona sera”/”Buonasera”, ... | |
| intransitive pronominal verb | 12/7/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what is an Italian “intransitive pronominal verb”? I have tried, but have ... A: an Italian “intransitive pronominal verb” (verbo intransitivo pronominale), also known as “ ... | |
| reflexive/pronominal | 12/5/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the expression “ma diamoci del tu!” which my computer course has ... A: Yes, “dare del tu a qualcuno” is an expression that means “to be on first-name terms with someone”, ... | |
| bello or buono | 11/27/2010 |
| Q: I recently saw the following sentence in my computer course: “Scusi signora, qui c’è un bar molto ... A: In the sentence “Scusi, signora, qui c’è un bar molto bello”-translated as: “Excuse me, madam, there ... | |
| grammar | 11/25/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me with the following sentence: “Le vuole anche dire” (He also wants to tell ... A: an Italian infinitive can be used as a direct object when it depends on a transitive verb like e.g. ... | |
| grammar | 11/24/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me with the following sentence: “Le vuole anche dire” (He also wants to tell ... A: here are my answers: 1-In the phrase “Le vuole anche dire…” (He also wants to tell her…) the ... | |
| Capitalization after apostrophe, in a title | 11/23/2010 |
| Q: d'Italia, etc. My question is about capitalizing other nouns after L', when the noun is the first ... A: when the noun after L’is the first word in a title, we Italians can capitalize this noun and thus ... | |
| del hotel | 11/22/2010 |
| Q: I recently encountered the following phrase: “tutti gli ospiti dell’hotel” (all the guests of the ... A: the sentence “Tutti gli ospiti dell’hotel” is right and the articulated preposition DELL’ before ... | |
| qui | 11/21/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the position of the word “qui” in the following sentence: “Scusi Signora, qui ... A: first of all I have to point out that my previous answer had to do with the position of the adverb ... | |
| indefinite article and | 11/20/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me why the indefinite article is not included after the preposition “con” in ... A: It is true that in Italian the definite and indefinite articles may or may not be used after the ... | |
| qui | 11/19/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the position of the word “qui” in the following sentence: “Scusi Signora, qui ... A: the position of the adverb “qui” in “Scusi Signora, qui c’è un bar molto bello” is correct. Anyway, ... | |
| tutto incluso | 11/18/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the phrase “tutto incluso” which I found in a paper about the price of hotels ... A: the conventional expression “tutto incluso” in the phrase “Hotel prices are tutto incluso, ... | |
| si | 11/17/2010 |
| Q: Your explanations have been great. But, due to my lack of abilities, I am still confused. Maybe, ... A: Actually you are still confused simply because the English translation of the sentence you mention ... | |
| impersonal si | 11/16/2010 |
| Q: Can you please answer the following questions about the following sentence: “Come si scrive?” I ... A: here are my answers: 1-”è scritto” as well as “viene scritto” translate as “it is spelled”. Note ... | |
| pensione | 11/15/2010 |
| Q: I have been trying to understand the word “pensione”. I asked another expert about this word, but ... A: I really do not mind answering this question as well as all your questions. The Italian feminine ... | |
| impersonal si | 11/14/2010 |
| Q: Can you please answer the following questions about the following sentence: “Come si scrive?” I ... A: please note that in the phrase “Come si scrive?”: [1] In the strict sense “si” is not used as a ... | |
| indefinite article and "con" | 11/13/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me why the indefinite article is not included after the preposition “con” in ... A: when we say for example “Vorrei una camera con vista”, we want to point out that such a room should ... | |
| alphabet | 11/12/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the names of the letters of the alphabet in Italian. I copied and pasted the ... A: Just as you thought, “bi” is not the “name” of the letter B, but only the way of pronouncing it in ... | |
| use of quanto | 10/28/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if it is always acceptable to elide the interrogative adverb quanto with the ... A: It is always acceptable to elide the interrogative adverb “quanto” with the verb “è“ as in: ... | |
| bello | 10/27/2010 |
| Q: I have previously asked you (my question from 9/13/2010) about the use and meanings of the words ... A: When we say “Giovanna è una bella persona” to mean “Giovanna is a good person”, we use the ... | |
| mattinata | 10/26/2010 |
| Q: In order to test my understanding, would you please tell me if the following is correct or not: ... A: It is so: the phrase “Nella mattinata ci sarà una festa” means correctly “In the morning there will ... | |
| in serata | 10/25/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the expression “in serata”. I found this expression in my computer ... A: The nouns “mattino, “mattina” and “mattinata” have the same meaning, i.e. “morning”. As for how ... | |
| mattina, pomeriggio, sera, notte | 10/24/2010 |
| Q: It would help me very much if you would please answer some more questions about the use of ... A: Yes, it is correct to use “mattina”, “pomeriggio”, “sera”, and “notte” with the simple preposition ... | |
| poco and piccolo | 10/23/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what the difference is between the adjective “piccolo” and the adjective ... A: the main difference between “piccolo”, which is used as an adjective or sometimes as a noun, and ... | |
| Last name meaning | 10/22/2010 |
| Q: I have done quite a bit of searching for the potential meaning of the last names Vertullo and Mafera ... A: You are right: the surname Vertullo is from Naples (Napoli) and its surroundings, while Mafera is ... | |
| serata | 10/21/2010 |
| Q: I hope that you will not mind some follow up questions: Can you please tell me if the preposition ... A: Yes, the preposition “in” can be used with “mattinata” without being articulated as “in mattinata” ... | |
| future tense | 10/20/2010 |
| Q: again, for your help with my previous question about the pronunciation of the future tense. I ... A: In “partirai” (2nd.person singular, future of “partire”) as well as in “porterai” (2nd.person ... | |
| in serata | 10/19/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the expression “in serata”. I found this expression in my computer ... A: Firstly,the preposition “in” cannot be used with ‘mattina’, ‘pomeriggio’, ‘sera’, and ‘notte‘ and ... | |
| anche | 10/18/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me some more with the word “anche”. My Italian dictionary tells me that “anche” ... A: “anche” is mainly used as a conjunction instead of “inoltre”, “pure”, “persino”, “addirittura”, ... | |
| future tense | 10/17/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following questions about the pronunciation of the “futuro ... A: You are correct in thinking that the “e” of the “-emo” ending is always pronounced “closed ” and ... | |
| position of "anche" | 10/16/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the position of the conjunction “anche” in the following sentence: Il signore ... A: In the period, i.e. the sentence of several clauses “Il signore la richiama perchè Giovanna si è ... | |
| use of "rechiamare" | 10/14/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the use of the verb “chiamare” in the following sentence that ... A: You are right: the correct English phrase for “Il signore la chiama perchè Giovanna si è ... | |
| carino | 10/13/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me to improve my understanding of the word “carino”. Can the word “carino” be ... A: Yes, the adjective “carino” can be used to mean “nice” when referring to people, things, and ... | |
| complex prepositions | 10/12/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to make sure that I correctly understand “complex prepositions”. Would you please tell ... A: First of all I have to tell you that “insieme a” or “davanti a”, as well as ” di fronte a”, “alle ... | |
| use if "molte grazie" | 10/11/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the expression “molte grazie”? Does “molte grazie” means “thank you ... A: It is so: “molte grazie” means “thank you very much” and the adjective “molto” has been inflected as ... | |
| molto | 10/9/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the word “molto” by telling me if I am correct in the following: ... A: You are correct in the following: 1-As an adverb, “molto” is invariable and can mean “a lot”, ... | |
| chiamare | 10/8/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the difference between the transitive verb “chiamare” and ... A: The verb “chiamarsi” can mean : 1-“to be called“ as in “Come si chiama questa cosa?” (what is this ... | |
| stasera | 10/7/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the word “stasera” can be used as a feminine noun. My “Garzanti” ... A: the word “stasera” is only an adverb and cannot be used as a feminine noun, though it is composed by ... | |
| cena a | 10/6/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following sentence: “Vorrebbe a cena con me stasera?” I found ... A: I think that you wanted to write “Verrebbe a cena con me stasera?” , not “Vorrebbe a cena con me ... | |
| pronouns | 10/5/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the Italian indirect object pronouns: mi, ti, Le, gli, le, ci, vi, gli, ... A: only the Italian stressed pronouns “me”,“ te”, “lei”, “lui”, “noi”, “voi” can be used after ... | |
| dimenticarsi | 10/3/2010 |
| Q: all is well with me and my family. Everyone is healthy. We’re now up to 4 grandchildren – 3 boys ... A: The phrases you mention are correct, apart from the first and the next to last, as you can see ... | |
| permettere | 10/2/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the sentence: “Mi permetta di darle questa rosa.” (Allow me to give you this ... A: in the sentence “Mi permetta di darle questa rosa” (Allow me to give you this rose) the preposition ... | |
| dimenticarsi | 10/1/2010 |
| Q: all is well with me and my family. Everyone is healthy. We’re now up to 4 grandchildren – 3 boys ... A: First of all the intransitive verb “dimenticarsi” we call “intransitivo pronominale” as it has the ... | |
| dimenticare | 9/29/2010 |
| Q: Since either the reflexive or the transitive form of the verb can be used – would both of the ... A: it is so: both “Signorina, mi scusi, ha dimenticato il suo documento” and “Signorina, mi scusi, si ... | |
| verb | 9/28/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: “Signorina, mi scusi, si è dimenticata il suo ... A: in the sentence “Signorina, mi scusi, si è dimenticata il suo documento” the verb “mi scusi” ... | |
| use of "fare" | 9/12/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following sentence: Avevo bisogno di una mancia per far felice ... A: it is so: in the sentence “Avevo bisogno di una mancia per far felice mia moglie” (I needed a tip to ... | |
| "bello" and "buono" | 9/12/2010 |
| Q: Would you please explain the difference between the words “bello” and “buono” when these words are ... A: the literal meaning of the adjectives “bello” and “buono” is “beautiful” and “good” respectively. ... | |
| imperfetto | 9/10/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to make sure that I correctly understand why the “imperfetto” is used in the following: ... A: in the phrase: "Dieci euro! Stupendo! Posso? Avevo bisogno di una bella mancia per far felice mia ... | |
| "stupendo" e "stupente" | 9/10/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the Italian Gerund – words that end in –ando and –endo. I had ... A: As a rule, the Italian Gerund is a word that is used either with the verb “stare” to form a special ... | |
| a lei | 9/9/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand why “per lei” would sound unusual in the following: Grazie, ... A: first of all “per lei” would sound unusual in the sentence “Grazie, ecco qui quattro euro a lei e ... | |
| follow up | 9/9/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following sentence: Grazie, ecco qui quattro euro a lei e due ... A: in the sentence “Grazie, ecco qui quattro euro a lei e due biglietti” the word “lei” is nothing but ... | |
| "ecco qui" and "a lei" | 9/8/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following sentence: Grazie, ecco qui quattro euro a lei e due ... A: the sentence: “Grazie, ecco qui quattro euro a lei e due biglietti” (Thank you, here are 4 euros for ... | |
| use of mancare | 9/8/2010 |
| Q: I am wondering why the indirect object pronoun “mi” is not included before the verb “mancano” in the ... A: in the phrase “…ah, scusi, mancano dieci centesimi” the indirect object pronoun “mi” is not ... | |
| centro città | 9/7/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if “centro città” is a feminine noun or a masculine noun For example, ... A: The expression “centro città” is in the masculine gender as it stands for “Il centro della città” ... | |
| apocope | 9/6/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there should be a space after the apostrophe in an apocope. For example, ... A: generally speaking, you should write: “un po’di” without a space after the apocope, though it is ... | |
| translation | 9/5/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the following phrase that I found in a computer course that I am using to study ... A: Here’s the correct analysis of the phrase “Permetta che mi presenti” (Allow me to introduce myself ... | |
| use of | 9/4/2010 |
| Q: In my studies, I have come upon the following sentence: “e anch’io prendo il vostro vaporetto” ... A: Here are my answers to your questions. [1] Yes, “anche” is only used as a conjunction since in ... | |
| use of the definite article | 9/3/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me why the definite article is used with some, but not all proper nouns. For ... A: The definite article is included before “Monte Pincio” in “Santissima Trinità al Monte Pincio” or ... | |
| use of "prendere" and "anche" | 9/2/2010 |
| Q: In my studies, I have come upon the following sentence: “e anch’io prendo il vostro vaporetto” ... A: Actually a correct translation of “anch’io prendo il vostro vaporetto” should have been “I also take ... | |
| use of "a" | 8/12/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me with the following sentence: “Devo andare a casa a dormire.” My computer ... A: the preposition “a” is used before the word “casa” and before the verb “dormire” in the sentence ... | |
| translation | 8/11/2010 |
| Q: I have come across the following sentence in the computer course that I am using to study Italian: ... A: I am always glad to help you. So, you are correct in thinking that Italian does not include the ... | |
| benissimo | 8/11/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me to better understand the use of the word “benissimo” My computer course in ... A: Your computer course is correct when it displays the superlative adverb “benissimo” on the screen ... | |
| translation | 8/10/2010 |
| Q: I have come across the following sentence in the computer course that I am using to study Italian: ... A: logically speaking, you would be right, but in English you use the impersonal pronoun “it” in ... | |
| understanding the expression - cosa c'e? | 8/10/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the expression “Cosa c’è?” Can you please tell me if “Cosa c’è?” means ... A: the question clause “Cosa c’è?” / “Che cosa c’è” /”Che c’è?” means exactly “What's the matter?” ... | |
| ecco | 8/9/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the word “ecco”. I understand that the word “ecco” is used with either an ... A: You are correct in thinking that the adverb “ecco” is used with either an enclitic pronoun as in ... | |
| pronunciation | 8/8/2010 |
| Q: My last name is angelone, I have a feeling I have mispronounced it my entire life, can you help? A: Here’s the correct Italian pronunciation of your last name: -AN is pronounced like the AN in ... | |
| cioccolata | 8/7/2010 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I am correct in thinking that: (1) the feminine noun “cioccolata” is ... A: the feminine noun “cioccolata” is used to refer to a beverage that is made by mixing cocoa power ... | |
| use of "va bene cosi" | 8/6/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand the expression “Va bene così?” I am trying to understand the ... A: there is no great difference between “Va bene così?” and “Va bene?” that translate respectively as ... | |
| allora | 8/5/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the use of the word “allora”. I recently came across this word in an ... A: in the context you mention the phrase “Allora, per Elisa un cappuccino e una pasta” is using the ... | |
| caldo | 8/4/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the expression “avere caldo” (to be hot) can be used to refer to all ... A: in Italian the expression “avere caldo” (to be hot) is used only to refer to the outside weather, ... | |
| un po' | 8/3/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me with one last question about “un po’di”? Can you please tell me if one ... A: you are right: if someone said to you “Rich, hai fame?”, it would be correct to say “Sì, un po’” ... | |
| apocope | 8/2/2010 |
| Q: I so much appreciate being able to understand the correct use of “un po’di” - Thank you!!! Can ... A: here’s the difference between an “elision” and an “apocope” in Italian: 1-an elision (elisione, in ... | |
| un po'di | 8/1/2010 |
| Q: I am very sorry to bother you again. Every day I say to myself that I will not bother you this day, ... A: first of all I‘d like to tell you that I am very glad to answer your questions which show your ... | |
| use of "come" | 7/31/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand how the word “come” is being used in the following when a ... A: In “r come Roma , i come Imola, c come Como, e h come hotel” (r like Roma, i like Imola, c like ... | |
| word order | 7/30/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me why in the sentence “Che cosa ti piace fare?” the indirect object “ti” is ... A: in the sentence “A te, che cosa piace fare?” the stressed form of the indirect object “te” is placed ... | |
| Italian compound nouns | 7/29/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the term “cento città” I am thinking that this term means “city center” in ... A: It’s obvious that you wanted to write “centro città”(not, “cento città”) which in fact means “city ... | |
| stressed pronouns | 7/28/2010 |
| Q: I still do not completely understand and hope that you will not mind a few more questions. Can ... A: please note that: [1] The stressed form of a personal pronoun (called “disjunctive pronoun” in ... | |
| emphasis | 7/27/2010 |
| Q: My question is about using pronouns to add emphasis. I am very sorry to bother you again with a ... A: actually there is no difference between the emphasis displayed by a stressed form of a personal ... | |
| familiar or courtesy form | 7/26/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following questions: When a store employee or clerk talks to an ... A: When a store employee or clerk talks to an adult customer, he must use the courtesy form of verbs ... | |
| Translation | 7/25/2010 |
| Q: Please translate this for me: Thank you so much for letting us stay at your beautiful house. It's ... A: FOLLOW UP Since in your kind rating you wrote that you are leaving for Italy next week, while in ... | |
| disjunctive pronouns | 7/24/2010 |
| Q: This got me trying to learn about “disjunctive pronouns”. I was hoping that you would not mind a ... A: If you want to use the English term “disjunctive pronoun”, i.e. “a stressed form of a personal ... | |
| pronouns | 7/23/2010 |
| Q: My question is about how to correctly place a subject pronoun in the following sentence: “Che cosa ... A: firstly I have to tell you that, if you wanted to include a pronoun in “Che cosa ti piace fare?” ... | |
| definite article | 7/22/2010 |
| Q: Would it be acceptable for me to say both of the following sentences: “Gli piacciono le arance.” ... A: you must say “Gli piacciono le arance” with the definite article which does not refer to specific ... | |
| egle, ella, esso, essa, essi, esse | 7/19/2010 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following is correct: The subject pronoun “egli” (he) is used to ... A: First, when I wrote: "the subject pronoun "essa" is used to refer to feminine "persons" and ... | |
| use of "loro" | 7/17/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the subject pronoun “loro” (they) can be used to refer to “things”. For ... A: The subject pronoun “loro” (they), which usually refers to persons, can also be sometimes used to ... | |
| pronunciation | 7/16/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me to learn the correct way to pronounce the following words: “ventisei”. ... A: the correct way to pronounce the words “ventisei”, “trentasei”, “quarantasei”, “cinquantasei”, ... | |
| subject pronouns | 7/14/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if Italian subject pronouns are used to refer to animals. For example, if I ... A: Yes, Italian subject pronouns can be used to refer to animals. Therefore “Lui è un buon cane” is ... | |
| Acceptable use and spelling | 7/13/2010 |
| Q: Maria, I am trying to name a product using Italian and have taken a little pet name I use for my ... A: I am sorry, but "Bello Amore", "Bel'Amore" and "Amore Bella” are wrong in Italian where you must ... | |
| verb tenses | 7/12/2010 |
| Q: I have been trying to understand the reason why it is acceptable to say: “Dove trovo una macchina ... A: you are right: “Dove trovo una macchina del caffè?” can be translated as “Where do I find a coffee ... | |
| translations | 7/11/2010 |
| Q: I an currently reading a book where I came upon the following dialogue:: “Dove trovo una macchina ... A: “Dove trovo una macchina del caffè?” (“Where can I find a coffee machine?”) instead of “Dove posso ... | |
| soldo/soldi denaro/danari | 7/10/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand the correct use of the words “soldo/soldi” and “denaro/denari”. ... A: it is so: you must say “soldi” or “denaro” when you need to say “money”. For example: -“Servono ... | |
| relative superlative | 7/7/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the formation of the relative superlative in the following sentence: “I piatti ... A: in the Italian sentence “I piatti di legno sono più leggeri di quelli di metallo, ma i piatti di ... | |
| pronouns | 7/2/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if it is true that a subject pronoun that is used with a reflexive verb will ... A: Bravo! You have understood everything perfectly. Also, if you want to emphasize your name, it is ... | |
| pronouns | 7/1/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if it is true that a subject pronoun that is used with a reflexive verb will ... A: “Io mi chiamo Rich” , “Lei si chiama Anna” are correct, while “Come tu ti chiami?” is wrong as you ... | |
| infinitive phrase | 6/30/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the grammar classification known as an “infinitive phrase” exists in ... A: first of all the English sentence “I like to read books” translates as “Mi piace leggere libri” or ... | |
| use of "come" | 6/29/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me how to say: “How does Rich want to pay?” I have learned that “come” is ... A: The interrogative adverb “come” is usually the first word in an interrogative sentence and ... | |
| relative superlative | 6/28/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: “Voglio la torta più grande” I am trying to figure ... A: if the phrase “Voglio la torta più grande” is in a context like this :“Ci sono due torte. Io voglio ... | |
| subject placement with "che" | 6/25/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there are any special rules that I should be aware of that govern the ... A: When you are using the uninflected interrogative adjective “che” ( which is the same as the ... | |
| letter "e" | 6/20/2010 |
| Q: My question is about how to pronounce the vowel “e” in Italian. Would you please tell me if I am ... A: what you say is correct, except for a few details. Here they are: 1-the Italian “closed e” in ... | |
| attributivo | 6/5/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the noun used after “di” in an attibutivo can ever be plural, or does this ... A: the noun used after the preposition “di” in sentences like “una statua di marmo”, “una tavola di ... | |
| piu | 6/4/2010 |
| Q: Would it be too much trouble for me to ask you how the word “più” is used to say “any more” “not ... A: here’s a kind of scheme which can help you with the use of the word ‘più’ as a negative adverb. ... | |
| Love Letter | 6/3/2010 |
| Q: I would like to send the following letter to a friend of mine who lives in Italy. My Dearest Mario, ... A: Here’s the translation you asked me. All the best, Maria Mio carissimo Mario, Mi manchi molto. ... | |
| questions with "piacere" | 6/2/2010 |
| Q: I just wanted to make sure that when I ask a question using the verb “piacere” that the subject of ... A: Yes, your sentences are correct, since when you ask a question using the verb “piacere” the subject ... | |
| SONG LYRICS | 5/27/2010 |
| Q: I WOULD LIKE THE ITALIAN LYRICS TO THE SONG "MAMA". I WAS ASKED TO SING IT AT AN UPCOMING AFFAIR. ... A: Here are the words of the Italian song “Mamma” by C. A.Bixio & B.Cherubini (1940) made popular in ... | |
| quanto | 5/24/2010 |
| Q: Can you please verify for me that the interrogative adverb “quanto” is always placed before any ... A: It is so: the interrogative adverb “quanto” is always placed before any verb that it modifies as in ... | |
| word order | 5/20/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to better understand how to ask a question in Italian without using an interrogative ... A: I think that a rule you can use for yourself is definitely to remember that using the same word ... | |
| word order | 5/19/2010 |
| Q: My question is about word order when asking questions. Thanks to your very kind help in answering ... A: both “Il supermercato è aperto?” and “È aperto il supermercato?” in order to say “Is the ... | |
| Replying to a wedding invitation | 5/18/2010 |
| Q: I am asking this question on behalf of my boss. A friend is marrying an Italian lady and the ... A: Here’s the Italian response to this wedding invitation: Cari ( the name of this friend) e (the ... | |
| definite article | 5/16/2010 |
| Q: Hi Maria, I hope all is well with you. Can you please help me to understand the following ... A: Actually it seems to be so, but I have to repeat that the definite articles in e.g. “Mi piace più IL ... | |
| definite article | 5/15/2010 |
| Q: Hi Maria, I hope all is well with you. Can you please help me to understand the following ... A: First of all in the sentence: “Mi piace più il vestito nero” (I like the black dress more) the ... | |
| nessuno | 5/13/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the word “nessuno”. It is my understanding that the word “nessuno” is ... A: Actually the Italian negative adjective/pronoun “nessuno” (masculine) / “nessuna” (feminine) is ... | |
| Wedding Toast | 5/10/2010 |
| Q: My Daughter Danielle is getting married June 5, 2010! As a full blooded Italian (OK, 2nd gernration ... A: Here’s the translation of your Toast to your daughter’s Wedding: A mia figlia Danielle e a suo ... | |
| quanto | 5/9/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand when to use the word “quanto” to say “how”. I am confused ... A: It is true that the interrogative adjective, pronoun and adverb “quanto” is used to say “how much” ... | |
| stesso vs uquale | 5/8/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the words “stesso” and “uquale”. In my studies I have encountered the ... A: First of all the correct spelling is “uguale” with the “g” instead of the “q”; second, the sentence ... | |
| Question | 5/5/2010 |
| Q: Ciao, My name is Tareq,I would like to ask you about how to say (I work as a translator at the ... A: If you are looking for the correct Italian translation of the English sentence “I work as a ... | |
| subject pronoun | 5/4/2010 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following sentence demonstrates the correct placement of the subject ... A: In the interrogative sentence “Dov’è lei?“ (meaning “Where is she?”) the placement of the subject ... | |
| "di" with name of a country | 5/3/2010 |
| Q: I have learned that in Italian the “definite article” is suppose to be included before the “name of ... A: Actually the “definite article” is included before the name of a country when you say “L’Italia”, ... | |
| tutti, tutte, qualcuno | 4/29/2010 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I am correct in thinking that the English word “everyone” is expressed ... A: You are correct in thinking that the English pronoun “everyone” is expressed with the Italian words ... | |
| Translation Help | 4/28/2010 |
| Q: 1) you are only as strong as the trials you overcome 2) The girl whom sorrow made beautiful the ... A: Here are the translations you need: 1)”Tu sei forte tanto quanto le difficoltà che superi” or “Tu ... | |
| italian toast | 4/27/2010 |
| Q: we have a friend who makes a toast in italian that sounds like Boena fortuna pa chi in don. It is ... A: I am sorry, but in the phrase “Boena fortuna pa chi in don” there is only one correct Italian word, ... | |
| position of "nuovo" | 4/25/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to understand if the word “nuovo” should be placed before or after the noun. For ... A: Both the sentences “Io ho bisogno di una televisione nuova” and “Io ho bisogno di una nuova ... | |
| use of definite article | 4/24/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the correct way to use the definite article with the indefinite pronouns ... A: You are right to say that the indefinite plural pronouns “tutti" and “tutte” (everybody, everyone, ... | |
| penna piuma | 4/23/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me to understand what the difference is between the words “penna” and “piuma”. ... A: Generally speaking, either “penna” or “piuma” can be used to say “feather”, though “piuma” ... | |
| how to say "children" | 4/22/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me to understand how to say "children" in Italian. I am trying to understand ... A: as I've written in my previous answer, I must point out that: 1-The word “figli”(masculine, plural ... | |
| figli, bambini, ragazzi | 4/21/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the following is correct or not: The word “figli” (masculine, plural ... A: actually the plural masculine noun “figli” is used to say “children” not only when one is talking ... | |
| sacco, sacchetto, sacchetto di carta | 4/20/2010 |
| Q: Can you please help me understand the difference between - “sacco”, “sacchetto” and “sacchetto di ... A: You are right, except some details I'm specifying below: -“sacco” is used to refer to a sack or a ... | |
| Prounciation | 4/19/2010 |
| Q: I am having problems with the stress of the conjugated verbs. I found a rule that says " io- voi the ... A: first of all I have to tell you that unfortunately there is no reliable site/book where you can ... | |
| nouns | 4/18/2010 |
| Q: My question is about invariable nouns. Would you please tell me if the following is correct or not: ... A: You are right: both “Queste bici sono lente” (These bikes are slow) and “Questa bici è lenta” (This ... | |
| Coming and Going | 4/17/2010 |
| Q: Hope you enjoyed your holiday. I have been working on some exercises using "Coming"& "Going" and am ... A: First of all I have to point out that in Italian we use the GERUND with the verb “stare” when we ... | |
| To quiet a child | 4/16/2010 |
| Q: I am a writer currently working on a story partly set in Sicily in 1943 and am looking for a word or ... A: The colloquial Italian phrases a parent (e.g. mother or grandfather) would use to quiet a fussy ... | |
| Translate song | 3/31/2010 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, Can you help me translate this beautiful Italian song that is sung by the Master ... A: First of all I have to tell you that “Ghirlandeina, veta mia” sung by Luciano Pavarotti is not in ... | |
| Marilena | 3/29/2010 |
| Q: While studying Italian, I have recently encountered the name “Marilena”. Can you please tell me ... A: “Marilena” is an Italian name: it is a combination of “Maria” and “Maddalena” as they both become ... | |
| arrivederci | 3/28/2010 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if “arrivederci” can be used as both a formal and as an informal expression ... A: it is so: “arrivederci” can be used as both a formal and as an informal expression to say “good ... | |
| subject and direct objects | 3/26/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me by telling me if I have correctly identified the subject and direct object ... A: you have correctly identified the subject and direct object in the sentences you mention. I have ... | |
| capitalization | 3/25/2010 |
| Q: I hope that you will not mind another question about when and when not to capitalize the possessive ... A: I am always glad to help you. So, the possessives “suo” and “loro” must not be capitalized when ... | |
| possessive adjective | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: My question is about using the “familiar” vs “formal” (courtesy) possessive adjective. Would you ... A: Yes, “scusami” is the 3rd person singular imperative of “scusare” which is “scusa” with the direct ... | |
| possessive adjective | 3/21/2010 |
| Q: My question is about using the “familiar” vs “formal” (courtesy) possessive adjective. Would you ... A: Actually your example “Mi scusi. È Tua sorella?” meaning “Excuse me. Is she your sister?” is ... | |
| translation | 3/20/2010 |
| Q: hey maria, can you help me translate this letter? i hope it's not too much to ask.. Dear Em, Hi! ... A: See below for the translation you asked me. Bye, Maria ... | |
| use of "vicino" | 3/16/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the word “vicino”. I have checked in my dictionary and found that ... A: You are right: the word “vicino” can be used as an ADJECTIVE like in “La mia casa è vicina” ( my ... | |
| sono or sto | 3/15/2010 |
| Q: When do you know when to use sto or sono. Io sto correndo. I am running. Io sono in piedi. I am ... A: In Italian you must always use the verb “stare” when it is followed by a gerund like in the ... | |
| use of "vivere" and "di dove essere" | 3/14/2010 |
| Q: While studying Italian, I have recently come across the following sentence: “Loro dove vivono?” ... A: In a context where a man is talking to a woman and is asking about her family the question “Loro ... | |
| Preposition sulla | 2/27/2010 |
| Q: In a popular Learn Italian On Line program they have used the following sentences using "sulla". I ... A: actually in Italian there is a difference between “Io sono sulla porta“ and “Io sono alla porta”. ... | |
| sentence analysis | 2/25/2010 |
| Q: Will you please help me do an analysis of the following sentence: “Che cos’è questo?” (What is ... A: in the interrogative sentence “Che cos’è questo?” (What is this?) the demonstrative pronoun ... | |
| Calogero | 2/24/2010 |
| Q: I'm researching my family history and need to know the english translation for the name Calogero? ... A: First of all “Calogerus” is the only English translation for the Italian masculine name “Calogero” ... | |
| come | 2/23/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the interrogative adverb “come” is always the first word in a sentence and ... A: You are right: the interrogative adverb “come” is always the first word in an interrogative ... | |
| indirect objects | 2/22/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following sentence: Di che colore vuole i fiori? (Of what color ... A: your analysis of the sentence “Di che colore vuole i fiori?” (Of what color do you want the ... | |
| squamme! | 2/21/2010 |
| Q: I have just translated a short passage by Carlo Emilio Gadda about an imaginary place in South ... A: Actually the word “squamme” is not a dialectal form nor a term coined by Carlo Emilio Gadda whose ... | |
| use of "quale" | 2/17/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the interrogative adjective “quale". Can you please tell me if the subject ... A: it is so: the subject is always located before the verb in a sentence that used the interrogative ... | |
| indefinite article | 2/14/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if it would be OK to say: “Il bambino non porta maglietta.” I am ... A: if you want to express that the little boy does not wear t-shirts in general, you must say “Il ... | |
| subject pronoun as predicate nominative | 2/10/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if an Italian subject pronoun can be used as a predicate nominative. For ... A: actually the pronoun “loro” is exactly the subject of the sentence “Chi sono loro?” whose predicate ... | |
| pinza, pinze, pinzetta, pinzette | 2/8/2010 |
| Q: again, for your help with my recent question about words like “occhiali”, etc. I am having a very ... A: Actually in Italian there is no difference between “pinza” and “pinze” as well as between ... | |
| plural words | 2/5/2010 |
| Q: My question is about words like “occhiali”, “pantaloni”, and “forbici”. In English words such as ... A: Like in English, words such as “occhiali” (glasses), “pantaloni” (pants), “jeans”, “forbici” ... | |
| Carlo Buti | 2/4/2010 |
| Q: I am putting together a radio show, and I am unsure of the correct pronunciation. How do you ... A: The surname “Buti” is pronounced this way: -B is pronounced like in English -U is pronounced like ... | |
| nationality | 2/3/2010 |
| Q: I hope that you will not mind another question about this same topic. In your answer to my question ... A: if the sentence “Io sono Americano”, where the word “Americano” is an adjective, is rewritten with ... | |
| Origin of my last name | 2/2/2010 |
| Q: I was wondering if you can help me find the origin of my last name. It is Matteis. Pronounced ... A: Your last name Matteis is certainly an Italian name which is quite common in some Italian regions ... | |
| nationality | 2/1/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if it is correct or not that in Italian “nationality” can be expressed as ... A: it is so: in Italian “nationality” can be expressed as either a “noun” or as an “adjective”. ... | |
| Using article with month of the year. | 1/27/2010 |
| Q: When do you use an article with a month of the year? Is it correct you use the definite article ... A: in Italian we must use the article with the month names in the following cases: 1-when the ... | |
| "Sorella" e "Suora" | 1/25/2010 |
| Q: My question concerns use of the words “Sorella” and “Suora” in regards to Catholic Nuns. I am ... A: Generally speaking, we use the term “Sorella” or “Suora” - both derived from Latin “soror” just ... | |
| tutto quanto | 1/24/2010 |
| Q: I still do not understand the term “tutto quanto”. I am sorry to bother you again. I have tried ... A: No trouble at all. So, “tutto” means “all” and “quanto” is an interrogative adjective, pronoun, or ... | |
| Volere, Credere, etc | 1/23/2010 |
| Q: I recently started taking Italian in college after a year and half of none, since high school. In ... A: First of all I think that you have mentioned the vebs “volere” and “credere” just as examples to ... | |
| adverb or adjective | 1/22/2010 |
| Q: I came across the following sentences while studying Italian: “I fiori sono tutti dello stesso ... A: The expression “tutti quanti” I’ve used to explain that “tutti” in the sentences “I fiori sono ... | |
| use of | 1/21/2010 |
| Q: I have been reading a book about Clint Eastwood and found the following title listed in his ... A: actually, when I said that “più” is an adverb that you can use with some prepositions like “di” or ... | |
| adverb or adjective | 1/20/2010 |
| Q: I came across the following sentences while studying Italian: “I fiori sono tutti dello stesso ... A: First of all the translations “Are all the flowers the same color?” for “I fiori sono tutti dello ... | |
| use of "in piu" and use of "qualche" | 1/19/2010 |
| Q: I have been reading a book about Clint Eastwood and found the following title listed in his ... A: In “Per qualche dollaro in più” ( For a Few Dollars More) “più” is an adverb we can use with some ... | |
| word order | 1/17/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following sentence: Di che colore vuoi la torta, tu? (What color ... A: In the interrogative sentence “Di che colore vuoi la torta, tu? “ the only change of the word ... | |
| troppo | 1/15/2010 |
| Q: Would you please tell me my understanding of the word “troppo”, as I have explained below, is ... A: You are right: as an adverb, “troppo” is placed before another adverb (“Tu telefoni troppo spesso” ... | |
| Italian Coat of Arms | 1/14/2010 |
| Q: I have an Italian Coat of Arms picture at my grandparents house. I was hoping for a translation. ... A: the heraldic noun ARMA (or ARME) means exactly “Coat of Arms” as hereditary symbol dating back to ... | |
| use of "di" | 1/13/2010 |
| Q: I understand that “di” must be included for specification when using the verb “essere” to talk ... A: Actually “di”, as either simple preposition (di) or articulated preposition (del, dello, etc) , ... | |
| riso/risi | 1/12/2010 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand how to correctly use the singular form of the word “riso” for ... A: Generally speaking, we use commonly the singular “riso” (English “rice”) like in “ Mi piace il riso ... | |
| nessuno | 1/11/2010 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if it is true that the adjective “nessuno” is only used as a grammatical ... A: it is true that the Italian adjective “nessuno” is only used as a grammatical singular adjective and ... | |
| alcuno | 1/9/2010 |
| Q: My question is about the singular form of the pronoun “alcuno”. Would you please tell me if I am ... A: It is so: the pronoun/adjective “alcuno”can be used with “non” in negative constructions, instead of ... | |
| nouns | 1/8/2010 |
| Q: In order to test my understanding, would you please tell me if I am correct in the following: ... A: Yes, you are right when thinking that English has a grammatical classification called non-count ... | |
| nouns | 1/6/2010 |
| Q: I hope you will not mind, but I have another question about countable and uncountable nouns. I am ... A: actually the statement you mention, i.e. “the word alcuni/e cannot be used with uncountable nouns ... | |
| use of "che" | 12/20/2009 |
| Q: My question is about making comparisons of quantity without using a comparative form of an adjective ... A: If you are making comparisons of quantity without using a comparative form of an adjective or ... | |
| Cuadro | 12/19/2009 |
| Q: Cara Maria, Ancora una volta mille grazie per tutto l'aiuto che m'hai datto. Oggi vorrei farti una ... A: Caro Simon, sono lieta di averti potuto aiutare. A proposito della parola “quadro” usato al ... | |
| Direct & Indirect: him/her/them | 12/11/2009 |
| Q: Buon giorno Maria! Spero che sta bene! =) I'm having a hard time understanding direct and indirect ... A: Salve Cindy! First of all I have to tell you that unfortunately my answer will be quite long, ... | |
| "maglia" "maglietta" | 12/9/2009 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand what the difference is between the words "maglia" and ... A: we can use the feminine noun “maglietta”-diminutive of “maglia”- to say : “T-shirt”, “ ... | |
| use of articles | 12/8/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: “Lei vuole pagare con carta di credito?” I found this ... A: The Italian phrase “Vuole pagare con la carta di credito?” can definitely be translated as “Do you ... | |
| Song Translation | 12/7/2009 |
| Q: We play a song called Scapricciatiello sung by Renato Carosone, and would really appreciate ... A: Apart from the fact that the song “ Scapricciatiello” is written in Neapolitan dialect, not in ... | |
| bosco boschi | 12/6/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what the difference is between the words “legno” and “bosco”. Also, can you ... A: Also in Italian both the singular “bosco” and the plural “boschi” can be used when referring to a ... | |
| elision | 12/5/2009 |
| Q: My question is about “elision”. Is there anyway for me to know when I should or should not form ... A: yes, an elision is formed by dropping the final unstressed vowel in a word placed before another ... | |
| use of articles | 12/3/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: “Lei vuole pagare con carta di credito?” I found this ... A: “Do you want to pay with a credit card?” is the correct translation of “Lei vuole pagare con carta ... | |
| "legno" " bosco" | 12/2/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what the difference is between the words “legno” and “bosco”. Also, can you ... A: generally speaking, the masculine noun “legno” means “wood” as in the following examples: -“legno ... | |
| leggero | 12/1/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the word “leggero”. Would you please tell me if I am correct in the following: ... A: Yes, the adjective “leggero” has a different meaning depending on whether it is placed before or ... | |
| Fire Spinning? | 11/30/2009 |
| Q: I have recently taken up studying Italian with the hopes of being close to fluent when i move to ... A: Actually it is difficult to translate “spin fire” or “spinning fire” into Italian just because the ... | |
| tutto | 11/29/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the word “tutto” when “tutto” is used as an adjective, adverb, or noun. ... A: actually all Italian adverbs are invariable and then never become plural, nor are they inflected for ... | |
| pronoun "tutto" | 11/28/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the pronoun “tutto”. After checking various reference books and ... A: Yes, it is so, as I’ve already said in my previous answer where I wrote: 'To conclude, we use ... | |
| tutto | 11/27/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the word “tutto” when “tutto” is used as an adjective, adverb, or noun. ... A: What you say is almost all correct, except two details I‘m writing below. 1-Note that as an ... | |
| pronoun "tutto" | 11/26/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the pronoun “tutto”. After checking various reference books and ... A: 1-When the pronoun “tutto” is used to mean “everything”, it is invariable, as you say. For ... | |
| nessunu | 11/25/2009 |
| Q: I think that I now understand the use of “nessuno”. To make sure I understand correctly, would ... A: You are correct in thinking that “non” must be used with “nessuno” and that this double negative ... | |
| nessuno | 11/24/2009 |
| Q: I am still having difficulty completely understanding the use of the pronoun “nessuno”. It would ... A: first of all the sentence “Io telefono a nessuno” is wrong, for you must say “Io non telefono a ... | |
| nessuno | 11/23/2009 |
| Q: I am sorry to bother you again, but I am having a very difficult time understanding how to use the ... A: First of all you do not bother me at all. On the contrary I really appreciate your efforts to know ... | |
| nessuno | 11/22/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the word “nessuno”. Could you please help me to better understand this word. ... A: this time I have to correct some statements of yours, as you can read below. First it is correct ... | |
| Italian conversation | 11/21/2009 |
| Q: I was asked to do a short presentation with a friend in italian in class. I was wondering if you ... A: here's the correct Italian text: RECEPTIONIST(addetto alla ricezione): Benvenuto all’Atlante Star ... | |
| "borsa" and "sacco" | 11/20/2009 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if there is any difference between the use of the words "borsa" and ... A: Generally speaking, the Italian feminine noun “borsa” is used to say “bag”, “handbag”, “purse”, as ... | |
| "guidare' and "andare in macchina" | 11/19/2009 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the difference between the use of “guidare” and the use of ... A: Yes, “guidare” is used to say “to drive” when talking about driving in a general sense. For ... | |
| use of "collega" | 11/18/2009 |
| Q: My dictionary states that the noun “collega” is both masculine and feminine. Does this mean that I ... A: you are right:"Il collega" means "the male colleague" and "La collega" means "the female colleague". ... | |
| cioccolati | 11/17/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the word “cioccolati” (the plural form of cioccolato) is used in ... A: the plural form of the masculine noun “il cioccolato” does not exist in Italian and therefore the ... | |
| direct object | 11/16/2009 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the following sentence: Lei paga con un assegno. (She pays ... A: the sentence “Lei paga con un assegno” is correct just because the implied direct object is exactly ... | |
| modal verbs / auxiliary verbs | 11/15/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the difference between “modal” verbs and “auxiliary” verbs. Would you ... A: First of all I have to make some important remarks: 1-When the verbs “potere”, “volere”, ... | |
| articles | 11/7/2009 |
| Q: My question concerns the use of the word “caffè” with articles. I was once told that I should use ... A: Generally speaking, it is correct to use the indefinite article and say “un caffè” when talking ... | |
| "avere" or "portare" | 11/5/2009 |
| Q: In my studies I recently came across a picture of several people, one of whom is wearing sunglasses. ... A: The caption “Chi ha gli occhiali da sole?” under the picture of several people, one of whom is ... | |
| verbs | 11/4/2009 |
| Q: once again, for your help with my previous question on October 25 in regards to the sentence “Mi ... A: yes, Italian “intransitive verbs” are followed by “prepositions”, but are not followed by “direct ... | |
| The "si" with accent in Dante | 11/3/2009 |
| Q: I just started reading "Inferno" translation Mark Musa 1996, and one problem I have is understanding ... A: First of all the “sì” (“si” with accent) in Dante’s Inferno, Canto 1, line 43, stands for the adverb ... | |
| nouns | 11/2/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the use of auxiliary words with nouns. In order to test my understanding, can ... A: First of all, Italian adjectives, verbs and articles must always agree in gender and number with ... | |
| God mother | 11/1/2009 |
| Q: Can you tell me the Italian word for Godmother? A: The Italian word for “godmother”, as a woman who sponsors a person at baptism, is “madrina”. In ... | |
| English to Italian translation/pronunciation? | 10/30/2009 |
| Q: Ciao Maria, I am an Italian_American and I want to paint a plaque for my kitchen and I would like ... A: The phrase “Kiss the Cook”, where “the cook” refers to a woman cook, translates as follows: -“Bacia ... | |
| word classification | 10/24/2009 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following sentence: “Mi piace ascoltare la radio.” I know that ... A: You must classify the feminine noun “radio” as a direct object of the transitive verb “ascoltare”. ... | |
| infinitive phrase | 10/21/2009 |
| Q: Could you please tell me if “giocare a calico” is an “infinitive phrase” in the following sentence: ... A: In the sentence “All’uomo piace giocare a calcio” the verb “giocare” is just an infinitive used as a ... | |
| "Largo" vs "Piazza" | 10/18/2009 |
| Q: I am sorry to bother you again, but I am now wondering why the term “Largo” is used instead of ... A: You don’t bother me at all. So, here’s the difference between a “Largo”, as in “Largo di Torre ... | |
| indirect objects | 10/17/2009 |
| Q: I am still having some confusion about how Italian "indirect objects" relate to English "objects of ... A: It is so as you say. Italian indirect object pronouns / nouns can translate into English as ... | |
| Largo Argentina | 10/16/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the name “Largo Argentina”. (the area in Rome that contains the four ancient ... A: You are right: “Largo Argentina” means exactly “Argentina Square” and the masculine noun “largo”, ... | |
| Translation | 10/15/2009 |
| Q: I want to have a stencil made for my kitchen that says in Italian: Love lives here ... A: The phrase “Love lives here” translates into Italian as “Qui abita l’amore” just in the sense that ... | |
| phonetic | 9/30/2009 |
| Q: I recently heard someone say a word in Italian and I cannot find its English translation. It ... A: first of all the Italian word "ghétto" (not, “chetto” which does not exist in Italian) derives from ... | |
| pubblicazioni | 9/29/2009 |
| Q: Gentile Maria Potresti delucidarmi gentilment sul destino dei dati adibiti al supporting ... A: Salve! Mi dispiace di non poterla aiutare, ma non ho competenza in questo campo, nel senso che non ... | |
| infinitives | 9/27/2009 |
| Q: Can you please help me with the following sentence: “Lui legge prima di dormire.” First of all, ... A: Actually in the Italian phrase “Lui legge prima di dormire” (“He reads before sleeping”) the present ... | |
| Translations | 9/25/2009 |
| Q: I've asked you a question a while ago (and thanks a million for that) so I was hoping to ask you ... A: Glad to have helped you a while ago. As for the translation of “What did you say?”, “What did he ... | |
| singular to plural | 9/24/2009 |
| Q: I have to change words from singular to plural and I'm not sure about some of the words....sport, ... A: Here’s the plural of the words you mention: 1-SPORT / GLI SPORT This is the plural form of “sport” ... | |
| Pronunciation | 9/22/2009 |
| Q: How do you pronounce the word "pazzo"? A: Here’s the pronunciation of the Italian word “pazzo”: -P is pronounced like in English. -A is ... | |
| verdura / verdure | 9/20/2009 |
| Q: I hope that you will not mind if ask some follow-up questions. I ask these questions because I so ... A: In Italian there is no literal translation for “I have one vegetable” or “I have three vegetables”, ... | |
| internet terminology | 9/18/2009 |
| Q: Ciao Maria- I am from an Italian/American family and can converse reasonably well in Italian, but I ... A: Salve Marla, First of all in Italian we use to say “Internet”, without the definite article. See ... | |
| verdura / verdure | 9/17/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the correct use of the words “verdura” and “verdure”. Would you please ... A: I am sorry, but this time I have to correct all your statements. 1-First of all the feminine word ... | |
| infinitive | 9/16/2009 |
| Q: I have been trying to develop a better understanding of the use of the Italian infinitive. To do ... A: When the Italian infinitive is used as a subject, like in “È difficile leggere nel pensiero” and ... | |
| infinitive | 9/15/2009 |
| Q: I have been trying to develop a better understanding of the use of the Italian infinitive. To do ... A: The Italian infinitive mood which is the form of the verb ending in –are (1st.conjugation), -ere ... | |
| use of "carni" | 9/14/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the word “carne” (meat). Can you please tell me if this word is ever used in ... A: the feminine noun “carne”/”la carne” can be used in the plural form “carni”/”le carni” in few ... | |
| piccolo | 9/13/2009 |
| Q: I must apologize because I made a typing mistake in my question. I meant to write: “La maglietta ... A: No, you cannot say:“La piccola maglietta è rosa”, as this phrase sounds absolutely strange in ... | |
| translation | 9/12/2009 |
| Q: ..i sing with a band and we are doing "return to me" by dean martin and the last words of the song ... A: First of all the two Italian words “ mio cuore “ translate as “my heart”. Moreover here’s the ... | |
| piccolo | 9/11/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the word “piccolo”. I am wondering if “piccolo” should be placed before or ... A: actually the adjective “piccolo” can placed before or after the noun, according to the context and ... | |
| gioiello | 9/10/2009 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the use of the words “gioiello” and “gioielli”. These words ... A: I realize that it is difficult for you to understand the use of the separate singular and plural ... | |
| Wedding speech | 9/9/2009 |
| Q: I would like to make a toast to the bride and groom at a wedding in Italy. Can you tell me ... A: Here’s the Italian text of the wedding toast you are looking for: “Cari (name of the bride and name ... | |
| use if "di" | 9/8/2009 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the phrase “negozio di ferramenta” (hardware store) is an “attributivo” ... A: In “negozio di ferramenta” (hardware store), where “ferramenta” (metal goods and utensils such as ... | |
| "di piu" and "di meno" | 9/7/2009 |
| Q: I am still trying to make sure that I completely understand the correct way to use “di più” and “di ... A: You are right: you have completely understood the correct way to use “di più” and “di meno”. ... | |
| use of the word "meno" | 9/5/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the word “meno”. I am wondering if “meno” is used the same in Italian as the ... A: It is correct to state that: 1-“più” is used to say “more”. 2-it can be either an adverb or an ... | |
| sentence structure | 9/4/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: “Che cosa ti piace fare?” What to you is pleasing to ... A: your analysis of “Che cosa ti piace fare?” is correct, except for the interrogative pronoun “che ... | |
| capitalization | 9/3/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the proper capitalization of the word Italia. When the singular form of the ... A: the singular form of the feminine definite article [la, l’] used before the name “Italia” can be ... | |
| chi | 9/2/2009 |
| Q: My question is about using the interrogative pronoun “chi” as the subject of a sentence. Can you ... A: Yes, it is true that the interrogative pronoun “chi”, when used as the subject of a sentence, is ... | |
| Italian pronunciation | 9/1/2009 |
| Q: I've started to learn Italian on my own, since I'm already taking Spanish in school. It's so much ... A: here are my answers: 1-"è", which means "he/she/it is", must be pronounced with the stress and then ... | |
| use of "signore" | 8/4/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the correct use of the word “signore”. Would you please tell me if the ... A: Yes, “signore” can be used to say: “sir”, “Lord” (in the religious context), or “gentleman” as in: ... | |
| use of definite article | 8/3/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the definite article with a person’s title when introducing that ... A: when introducing a person you must say “Questo è il signor Mantini” with the definite article, not ... | |
| placement of adjectives | 8/1/2009 |
| Q: I have found the following sentences in a computer course that I am using to study Italian: Il pane ... A: yes, you are correct in thinking that the adjectives “buono” and “cattivo” can be placed before or ... | |
| placement of adjectives | 7/31/2009 |
| Q: I have found the following sentences in a computer course that I am using to study Italian: Il pane ... A: the placement of the adjectives “buono” and “cattivo” in the sentences you mention is correct. ... | |
| translation | 7/30/2009 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the translation of the following sentences: “Noi siamo dal nonno.” ... A: Actually “Noi siamo dal nonno” means “We are at our grandfather's (house)” and “Io vado da mia ... | |
| possessive adjective with "casa" | 7/28/2009 |
| Q: Would you please explain to me when to place the possessive adjective after the noun “casa” as ... A: Actually there is not a so marked difference between the two uses of the possessive adjective with ... | |
| use of "benvenuto" | 7/27/2009 |
| Q: Would you please tell me the correct way to say: “Welcome to Rome.” I am not sure if this would ... A: You must say correctly “Benvenuto a Roma” as well as “Benvenuto a Genova”, “Benvenuto a Torino”, ... | |
| correct pronunciation | 7/26/2009 |
| Q: My question concerns the correct way to pronounce the verbs “permettere” and “servire”. I have ... A: You are twice right: first time you are right when you have marked the correct syllables; second ... | |
| soggiornare | 7/25/2009 |
| Q: Buongiorno Maria, Spero che tutto vi va bene. Vorrei farti una domanda sul verbo “soggiornare” ... A: Salve Simon, il verbo “soggiornare” risale effettivamente al Latino volgare “subdiurnare” ... | |
| Thank you note | 7/24/2009 |
| Q: I want to thank two of my fiance's friends for gifts for my bridal shower. I want to say something ... A: Actually I'd have needed to know if the friends you mention are male or female persons as in ... | |
| farcela, idiomatic expression? | 7/19/2009 |
| Q: Please help with the meaning of the pronominal verb farcela as used in the news excerpt below "Sta ... A: the Italian idiomatic verb “farcela” as used in the news excerpt you mention, i.e. :"Sta ... | |
| "studiare" and name of a language | 7/18/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the definite article before the name of a language after the verb ... A: Actually you can say correctly both “Io studio l’Italiano” and “Io studio Italiano”, without any ... | |
| La Mia Poesia Translation | 7/15/2009 |
| Q: Listening to music of the most beautiful language on earth for the last 50 years has given me ... A: I’ve checked your translation and corrected some mistakes, like e.g. “I listened to you” instead ... | |
| La Mia Poesia | 7/14/2009 |
| Q: I just finished writing down the lyrics to Italian song calld "La Mia Poesia" Could you possibly ... A: I’ve just listened "La Mia Poesia" sung by Peppino Gagliardi and I’ve corrected some mistakes, ... | |
| accent location | 7/13/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the location of the accent on past participles. Can you please tell me if the ... A: you are right: the accent is always placed on the “a” of –ato in the 1st.conjugation, the “u” of ... | |
| Translation | 7/11/2009 |
| Q: I am in need of your help for a message that I love to spread to everyone. I need the following two ... A: the Italian phrases “Spargi soltanto semi d’amore”(literal) or better “Semina solo amore” correspond ... | |
| objects | 7/10/2009 |
| Q: I am still confused and hope you will not mind helping me some more. I think I may be confused ... A: I am sorry that you are still confused and I’ll try to throw light upon this matter. 1-Yes, what ... | |
| sentence structure | 7/10/2009 |
| Q: tu?” This is very much appreciated. I am still trying to understand that in this sentence ... A: Firstly I have to point out that in Italian we call “indirect objects” (complementi indiretti) all ... | |
| Offering food/drinks | 7/9/2009 |
| Q: hope you're doing good :) I have a question about how to ask some one if they would like something ... A: Here are the correct way to ask someone if he/she/they would like something to eat or drink: -“Vuoi ... | |
| sentence structure | 7/8/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the following sentence. "Di che grandezza vuoi la torta tu?" Would you ... A: Here’s the correct grammatical analysis of “Di che grandezza vuoi la torta, tu?": -tu = subject ... | |
| Dante, l'inferno, canto 1, line 103 | 7/7/2009 |
| Q: "Questi non cibera terra ne feltro" is the line I'm concerned about. It occurs during Vergil's ... A: First of all the line 103 in Dante’s Inferno, canto I, reads correctly: “Questi non ciberà terra né ... | |
| Can we stay / Can you find | 7/5/2009 |
| Q: Buona sera Maria! Spero che tu sta bene! If I needed to say "How long can we stay here", do I say ... A: Salve Cindy, If you want to translate "How long can we stay here?", you must say correctly “Per ... | |
| verb pronunciation | 7/4/2009 |
| Q: I am still having some confusion about verb pronunciation. I hope that you will not mind another ... A: First of all I have to tell you that in our dictionaries we don’t have any vowel pronunciation for ... | |
| pronunciation | 7/2/2009 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the "e" in the second syllable of "vende" (3rd person singular of ... A: the "e" in the second syllable of "vende" (3rd person singular of the present indicative of ... | |
| verb pronunciation | 6/29/2009 |
| Q: June 28, 2009 Dear Maria, My question is about verb pronunciation. Can you tell me whether or not ... A: actually I’ve already answered this question you asked me on Thursday 25th.June. Didn't you receive ... | |
| ancient family coat of arms | 6/27/2009 |
| Q: We recently were given our family coat of arms after an elderly relative passed on. Under the crest ... A: the inscription “ARMA TESSANDORO” means “coat of arms of the Tessandoros”. In fact ARMA is the ... | |
| verb pronunciation | 6/26/2009 |
| Q: June 25, 2009 Dear Maria, My question is about verb pronunciation. Can you tell me whether or not ... A: generally speaking, you can use the pronunciation of the infinitive (as this pronunciation is ... | |
| grande | 6/24/2009 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following question that concerns the word “grande”. I understand ... A: First of all I have to tell you that it is not always true that the adjective “grande” implies ... | |
| word order | 6/23/2009 |
| Q: Is it acceptable to place the subject after a transitive verb. Ex. Juan sells many books. 1. Venda ... A: Actually the only one correct translation of the English sentence “Juan sells many books” is the ... | |
| conjunction | 6/22/2009 |
| Q: Is it right to use either “da” or “perche” in the sentences below, in which the word “quanto” means ... A: actually I have to point out that in the Italian sentence “ Lui non è uscito da quanto stava male” ... | |
| congiuntivo | 6/21/2009 |
| Q: Perché il congiuntivo passato è usato qui? Siete a conoscenza di altri paesi in cui l'immigrazione ... A: Salve! Nella frase “Siete a conoscenza di altri paesi in cui l'immigrazione sia diventata un ... | |
| Italian | 6/20/2009 |
| Q: When my father greeted his friends he said something like Wall yo---- please tell me what it means ... A: I think that when your father greeted his friends by saying something like “Wall yo” , he used the ... | |
| Italian Wedding Toast | 6/19/2009 |
| Q: My daughter is marrying an Italian gentleman in Chianti in August. None of his parents/aunts/uncles ... A: firstly I‘d like to wish Jennifer and Simone happiness on the occasion of their marriage; secondly ... | |
| conjunction se | 6/18/2009 |
| Q: Please help me with regards to the use of "se" in the sentence below. Meno corretta la definizione ... A: First of all I have to tell you that the Italian language of the passage you cite (from "Diritto ... | |
| ordine corretto delle parole | 6/17/2009 |
| Q: Cara Maria, Io spero che hai avuto una vacanza molto buona. Io ti ho precendentemente chiesto una ... A: Caro Rich, il corretto ordine delle parole nella frase che tu citi è “Quali scarpe vanno bene?” con ... | |
| gerund and conjunction | 6/15/2009 |
| Q: I'm having difficulty analyzing why gerundio is used in the sentence below (cercando and ... A: First of all the present gerunds “cercando” and “istituendo” are related to the main clause subject ... | |
| 'come' | 6/13/2009 |
| Q: When the adverb “come” is used in questions, is it right to put the subject before it, as in ... A: In Italian we say correctly: “Come vinse Isabella?”, where the adverb “come” stands at the beginning ... | |
| relative clause | 6/12/2009 |
| Q: Please help on the positioning of preposition in relative clause. Can the sentence "Dimmi il ... A: In Italian we can say correctly either “Dimmi a cosa stai pensando”/Dimmi a che cosa stai pensando” ... | |
| preposition | 6/11/2009 |
| Q: Please help on the positioning of preposition in relative clause. Can the sentence "Dimmi il ... A: if you are looking for a translation of "Tell me the plan you are thinking of", you must say ... | |
| preposition | 6/10/2009 |
| Q: Are there any grammar rules that would forbid the dropping of preposition "a" in the common ... A: First of all there is no grammar rule which forbids the use of the preposition "a" in the idiomatic ... | |
| preposition & infinitive | 5/17/2009 |
| Q: Is it required/optional to use a preposition before an infinitive if it is governed by an impersonal ... A: in Italian we don’t use the preposition “di”/ “a” before an infinitive, if it is governed by the ... | |
| predicate adjectives | 5/16/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if the concept of predicate adjectives and linking verbs work the same way in ... A: You are right: in the sentence "La finestra è aperta" (The window is open) "aperta" is a predicate ... | |
| di for specification | 5/15/2009 |
| Q: I was once told that when "di" is used for specification the noun that comes after "di" will always ... A: Actually it’s not true that, when the preposition "di" is used for specification, the noun that ... | |
| answering questions | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: what does the question - Chi ha molto fame? mean and how do i answer it. A: The phrase “Chi ha molta fame?” means exactly: “Who is very hungry?”. An answer could be: “Sono io ... | |
| word order | 5/7/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the following sentence: "Quali gatti ti piacciono?" Would you tell me if ... A: it is so: in the phrase "Quali gatti ti piacciono?" (Which cats do you like?) the Italian word ... | |
| Translate English to Italian | 5/6/2009 |
| Q: How would I say two faced in Italian? A: The English adjective “two-faced“ can be translated into Italian as “doppiogiochista”, “ambiguo”, ... | |
| piu | 5/5/2009 |
| Q: I have been having a hard time completely understanding the many uses of the word "piu". It would ... A: the sentence “Quale vestito ti piace di più?” (Which dress do you like more?) is correct, while ... | |
| passive | 5/4/2009 |
| Q: Kindly help me with the sentences below. Is it correct to use the dative case “ci” in both sentences ... A: “They are sold" using passive ‘si’ is in Italian “si vendono”, without the pronoun ‘essi’ which is ... | |
| dative pronoun | 5/3/2009 |
| Q: Kindly help me with the sentences below. Is it correct to use the dative case “ci” in both sentences ... A: Sorry, but “Ci si e vendutu i libri“ is absolutely wrong, while “Ci si sono venduti i libri”, which ... | |
| piu | 5/2/2009 |
| Q: I have been having a hard time completely understanding the many uses of the word "piu". It would ... A: “Mi piace più il vestito nero” is correct as well as “Mi piace di più il vestito nero” (I like the ... | |
| piu di / piu... che | 4/30/2009 |
| Q: I have recently encountered the following sentences in a computer course that I am using to study ... A: in Italian it would better to say:"Il tè mi piace più del caffè" and "Mi piace più il vestito rosso ... | |
| piu di / piu... che | 4/29/2009 |
| Q: I have recently encountered the following sentences in a computer course that I am using to study ... A: Generally speaking, we can use the preposition “di” (del, dello, della, etc.) as well as the ... | |
| Wedding Toast | 4/27/2009 |
| Q: I would like to make a toast ( I am the groom ). I have a strong Italian background; never learned ... A: first of all I wish you a Merry Wedding and a Happy Honeymoon. As for your question, here’s a ... | |
| use of "di" | 4/25/2009 |
| Q: I am still having a difficult time understanding the use of "di" to specify in sentences such as: ... A: the preposition "di" needs to be included for specification in these sentences not because the verb ... | |
| si passive | 4/22/2009 |
| Q: Can I use the so-called "si passive" construction with first-person or second-person subjects (i.e. ... A: the so-called "si passive" construction, i.e. “si passivante” in Italian, cannot be used with ... | |
| using "andare bene" | 4/21/2009 |
| Q: Cara Maria, Puoi per piacere dirmi il ordine corretto delle parole in una frase quando faccio una ... A: Caro Rich, di solito si dice “Va bene la camicia?”, ma nel linguaggio familiare possiamo anche ... | |
| preposition "di" | 4/20/2009 |
| Q: Would you please help me to translate the following: Queste tazze sono della stessa grandeza. ... A: it is so: in "Queste tazze sono della stessa grandezza" as well as in “Queste tazze sono di ... | |
| impersonal si | 4/19/2009 |
| Q: Should I use the plural or singular inflection of mangiare in the sentence below? Li si ... A: Actually in the Italian “si passivante” the particle “si” does not stand as an impersonal pronoun, ... | |
| impersonal si | 4/18/2009 |
| Q: Should I use the plural or singular inflection of mangiare in the sentence below? Li si ... A: in the sentence “Li si mangia” just meaning “One eats them/ People eat them/ We eat them” you ... | |
| The word giomata | 4/17/2009 |
| Q: This is the title of a painting by Marco Calderini in our local museum: Giomata de Pioggia in ... A: First of all the correct title of this painting by the Italian painter Marco Calderini (1850-1941) ... | |
| Verbs | 4/7/2009 |
| Q: This may seem like a very basic question, but I am having trouble with Italian verbs. What is the ... A: I am really not surprised that you have trouble with Italian verbs as they are quite difficult ... | |
| interrogative adjective "quanto" | 4/6/2009 |
| Q: Cara Maria, Puoi per favore dirmi se il soggetto mette prima o dopo il verbo in una frase ... A: Caro Rich, se una frase comincia con l'aggettivo interrogativo "quanto", il soggetto si mette di ... | |
| Translation | 4/5/2009 |
| Q: I'd like to translate this phrase into Italian: Through difficulties to the stars Thanks so much ... A: "Through difficulties to the stars" translates as follows: 1-“Alle stelle attraverso le difficoltà” ... | |
| Dire bene | 4/4/2009 |
| Q: I'd like to ask more questions regarding these letters my grandmother wrote my mother, who by the ... A: first of all the Italian expression “una poco di buono” (not ’poca di buono’) means “a flirtatious ... | |
| avere bisogno di | 4/3/2009 |
| Q: In my studies I have encountered several sentences where the "di" of "avere bisogno di" is placed at ... A: You are right: the preposition "di" from "avere bisogno di" is always placed at the beginning of a ... | |
| attributivo | 4/2/2009 |
| Q: Cara Maria, Puoi per piacere dirmi se "di credito" e un attributivo in la frase seguente: "Le ... A: Caro Rich, lieta di leggerti in Italiano e di poterti dire che ti sei espresso correttamente, a ... | |
| response to your questions on 3/27 e-mail | 3/31/2009 |
| Q: This is Linda,the woman who wrote on 3/27. I don't know where I'm supposed to leave my response to ... A: the passage you mention should have been written as follows in the correct Italian language: "Si ... | |
| comparative structure | 3/30/2009 |
| Q: I am still trying to make sure that I completely understand the use of comparatives. I hope you ... A: In the Italian phrase “La mia casa è più piccola della tua casa”, or better “La mia casa è più ... | |
| comparison of quantity using "tutti" | 3/29/2009 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand both the grammar and the use of the word "tutti" in the ... A: the correct translation of "La bambina mangia più torta di tutti" is just "The young girl eats more ... | |
| translate song title | 3/28/2009 |
| Q: Can you tell me what the title Al Di La means? I look forward to hearing from you soon, thank you ... A: The song title “Al di là” means “Beyond” as e.g. in the lyrics which reads “Al di là del bene più ... | |
| translation confusion | 3/27/2009 |
| Q: I am translating letters written by my Italian grandparents in the '40's. I don't know a lot of ... A: First of all it would need to know the Italian context where the phrase "Qualche diavolo deve ... | |
| Translation :-) English to Italian | 3/26/2009 |
| Q: My best friend and I have always found Italian to be a beautiful language. I am currently putting ... A: Here are the translations you asked me: -“Let it be” = “Lascia che sia!” (literal), that is “Non ... | |
| attributivo | 3/24/2009 |
| Q: I was wondering if there is a way for me to know when it is correct to use a noun to form the ... A: the correct Italian translation for "garbage can" is “bidone della spazzatura” where “della ... | |
| Lauretta Mia | 3/23/2009 |
| Q: I am seeking a song with my daughter at her wedding which has Italian theme adn I want to make our ... A: I'm glad to help you and I wish your daughter good luck and happiness. So, here's the Italian ... | |
| "attibutivo" / "di used for specification" | 3/22/2009 |
| Q: Can you please tell me if there is any difference between the term "attributivo" and the expression ... A: The Italian term “attributivo”, i.e. a word group having the nature of an attribution placed ... | |
| attributivo | 3/20/2009 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the structure of the following sentences: Questa sedia e di plastica. ... A: you are right: in the phrases you mention the "attributivo" is just a grammatical construction that ... | |
| dare del tu | 3/19/2009 |
| Q: I am still trying to understand the expression "dare del tu". Would you please tell me if I am ... A: first of all here are the correct Italian sentences: -"Do del tu al professore" (I am on first-name ... | |
| "no" vs "non" | 3/18/2009 |
| Q: Would you please tell me when I should say "no" or "non" in Italian for "not" in English. I do not ... A: Generally speaking, you must say “no” in Italian when this adverb is used as a negative answer to a ... | |
| use of "fare spese" | 3/17/2009 |
| Q: Cara Maria, Mi diresti se le frasi seguenti sono corrette o non: "Lei fa spese in un negozio di ... A: Caro Rich, le due frasi che citi , e cioè "Lei fa spese in un negozio di ferramenta" (She shops in ... | |
| "piu" and definite article | 3/16/2009 |
| Q: once again, for explaining to me that the definite article is not used after the comparative adverb ... A: the answer to your question is quite easy. In fact in all the sentences you mention the adverb of ... | |
| use of definite article | 3/15/2009 |
| Q: In the computer course that I am using to study Italian there is a picture of a boy holding a glass ... A: the caption under the picture you mention is correct. In fact you must say: “Il bambino ha più ... | |
| Italian translation | 3/14/2009 |
| Q: How would you translate: Non piangete la mia assenza sentitemi vicino e parlatemi ancora. Io vi ... A: Here’s the translation of “Non piangete la mia assenza, sentitemi vicino e parlatemi ancora. Io vi ... | |
| che stare per | 3/13/2009 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the expression: "che stare per". I am thinking that a ... A: First of all I think you mean “che sta per” (not “che stare per”) as e.g. in the sentence ... | |
| surname pronunciation | 3/12/2009 |
| Q: I married an Italian American 12 years ago. Our last name is Di Bisceglie, and I realize it's an ... A: The pronounciation "Dee Bee Shell ee" for the Italian surname “Di Bisceglie” is correct, apart from ... | |
| Translation Assistance. | 3/9/2009 |
| Q: Greetings: I could use a bit of assistance in translating the following thank you: Dear XXX ... A: here's the translation you need: Cara famiglia XXX, sono molto felice che voi tutti abbiate ... | |
| translation | 3/8/2009 |
| Q: Gentile Maria, Aiuterebbe con la proposizione seguente: <<Il biglietto del concerto costa piu di ... A: Caro Rich, ti aiuto volentieri a capire il senso del pronome dimostrativo “quello” che noi Italiani ... | |
| Are dialects unique languages or just "forms"of Italian? | 3/6/2009 |
| Q: Ciao Maria. With due respect, I must ask about your note in another reply that: "...the Sicilian ... A: although the dialects of the twenty Italian regions did not develop after Italian, they are however, ... | |
| Adattare una Canzone | 3/4/2009 |
| Q: Provo a tradurre in un modo cantabile la canzone "When You Look Me in the Eyes" dai Fratelli Jonas, ... A: Salve! Capisco che non è sempre facile adattare ad un’altra lingua una canzone rendendola ... | |
| "a" vs "in" | 2/18/2009 |
| Q: Would you please tell me whether or not the prepositions "a" and "in" can both be used in the ... A: yes, the prepositions "a" and "in" can both be used correctly in the sentences you mention, though ... | |
| translation from english to italian | 2/17/2009 |
| Q: Was dissappointed Sunday.It took a long time to use Skype, and when your pictures came up finally ... A: here’s the translation you asked me. Best regards, Maria ___________________ Cara Elisa, Che ... | |
| use of "del" with "avere bisogno" | 2/14/2009 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: "Tu hai bisogno del sapone?" I am wondering if this ... A: the sentence “Hai bisogno del sapone?”/ ”Tu hai bisogno del sapone?” corresponds to the English ... | |
| use of | 2/6/2009 |
| Q: Would you please explain why the preposition "di" is included in the following sentence: "Tu di che ... A: In Italian we can say indifferently “Tu di che cosa hai bisogno?”, “Tu di cosa hai bisogno?” ... | |
| articles | 2/5/2009 |
| Q: if we have two vowels for singuralr definite feminile articles then we remove one vowel eg. la erba ... A: first of all I have to tell you that you must write "le erbe", not "l'erbe". In fact, if the ... | |
| use of "di" with interrogatives | 2/4/2009 |
| Q: Would you please explain why the preposition "di" is included in the following sentence: "Tu di che ... A: the preposition “di” has been included in the interrogative sentence "Tu di che cosa hai bisogno?" ... | |
| scusi | 2/2/2009 |
| Q: Dear Maria, Would it be better to say "scusi", or should the direct object pronoun be included ... A: When excusing yourself, you can say either “Scusi” or “Mi scusi”, as they both are correct. ... | |
| "Firma del caffe"? | 2/1/2009 |
| Q: 1. For a restaurant menu, is this correct; Firma del caffe (of course with the "accent" on the e of ... A: Actually such a “signature coffee" does not exist at all in Italy as well as the translation “firma ... | |
| medicina | 1/31/2009 |
| Q: Would you please translate the following sentences for me: Io ho bosogno di una medicina. Io ho ... A: Actually the Italian sentence ”Io compro le medicine” can mean that I am buying specific items of ... | |
| medicina | 1/29/2009 |
| Q: Would you please translate the following sentences for me: Io ho bosogno di una medicina. Io ho ... A: Firstly the correct Italian sentences are “Io ho bisogno di una medicina” and “Io ho bisogno della ... | |
| A and Alla | 1/27/2009 |
| Q: Ciao Maria! What is the rule of thumb when it comes to "al, a, alla"? Sono "a" casa, Sono "al" ... A: Salve Cindy! I’m sorry, but there is no rule of thumb for using the prepositions A, AL, ALLA nor ... | |
| sounds like . . . | 1/26/2009 |
| Q: Is there a word that sounds like 'capeesh'? If so, what does it mean and how do you spell it? Thank ... A: I think you refers to the Italian verb “Capisci” which sounds just like “capeesh”. “Capisci”, which ... | |
| fare spese | 1/25/2009 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the expression "fare spese" can be used to say "to do shopping" when ... A: You must include a specification about the supermarket and then say “Faccio la spesa in un ... | |
| fare spese | 1/24/2009 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the expression "fare spese" can be used to say "to do shopping" when ... A: actually we use the expression “fare spese” ("to do some shopping") in sentences like the ... | |
| preposition "in" and definite article | 1/23/2009 |
| Q: Would you please verify for me that the definite article is omitted when the preposition "in" is ... A: Yes, the definite article is omitted when the preposition "in" is used with the expressions of place ... | |
| non-count nouns | 1/22/2009 |
| Q: Could you please tell me whether or not "non-count" nouns exist in Italian. For example, I am ... A: First of all “non-count nouns”, such as ‘sand’, ‘oil’, or ‘honesty’, that denote a substance or ... | |
| preposition "in" | 12/22/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the preposition "in" when talking about items being "on the dish" or "in the ... A: First of all "Buon Natale e Buon Anno" to you and your family. As for your question about the ... | |
| correct spelling of phrase | 12/21/2008 |
| Q: My mother in law used to say "manage a gui". I think it means either whoa or oh mi gosh, something ... A: I think that your mother in law used to say “Mannaggia a lui”, or “Mannaggia a vui”( vernacular for ... | |
| usage of a phrase | 12/20/2008 |
| Q: I have read this phrase in a novel, I know the meaning but I want to know how is this phrase used ... A: I think you are referring to a phrase uttered by Sebastian de Rosa, the character played by Raoul ... | |
| pronunciation | 12/14/2008 |
| Q: What is the correct pronunciation of the name "laudomia"? Where is the accent (i or o) - if on o: is ... A: In the Italian feminine name "Laudomia" the accent is on the O which is open, not closed. As for ... | |
| "che" "cosa" "che cosa" | 12/13/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the interrogative pronouns "che", "cosa", and "che cosa". I know that "che", ... A: to tell the truth, there is no set rule on when we must use the interrogative pronouns "che", ... | |
| Thank you note to various family members | 12/12/2008 |
| Q: My wife and I had the great fortune of spending two weeks in Italy the past September, much of it in ... A: Glad to help you. So, here’s the translation you asked me. Note that I’ve added “Carissimi” (my ... | |
| "May" | 12/11/2008 |
| Q: How would I say in Italian -"May God bless...." Would I use the present subjunctive of Potere with ... A: Generally speaking, “May God bless…..” translates as “Dio benedica….” with the present subjunctive ... | |
| avere | 12/7/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the verb "avere" being used to express possession. I am wondering if the verb ... A: in Italian the verb “avere” is used to express possession like in the following examples: -“Loro ... | |
| placement of "quanto" | 12/5/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the interrogative adjective "quanto". Would you please tell me if the ... A: the interrogative adjectives "quanto" /”quanti”/ quanta”/ “quante” are always placed before the ... | |
| m'avea | 12/4/2008 |
| Q: in this sentence "Quando entrai nella scuola, -- un poco tardi, che m'avea fermato la maestra di ... A: In this passage of the children’s novel “Cuore” (Heart), written by Edmondo De Amicis in 1886, ... | |
| articles for nouns | 11/29/2008 |
| Q: When you have two nouns in a sentence that would take different articles, but are linked through the ... A: you must say “Il ragazzo e l’amico”, first because, though both nouns are masculine, they take ... | |
| name of country | 11/27/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if my understanding of the following is correct: The preposition "in" is ... A: your understanding is correct: the preposition "in" is used, without the definite article, before ... | |
| name of a city | 11/24/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if my understanding of the following is correct: The preposition "a" is ... A: you are right: the preposition "a" is used, without the definite article, before the name of a city ... | |
| translations | 11/22/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following translations are correct: Io corro. = I am running. ... A: both the translations are correct, though we prefer to use one or the other, according to the ... | |
| Understanding these phrases | 11/21/2008 |
| Q: What is the difference between these phrases? To me they almost mean the same thing but maybe I'm ... A: Generally speaking, you have understood the sense of the phrases you mention, though I have to make ... | |
| Sicilian Dialect | 11/19/2008 |
| Q: Buoni Desideri a Voi Maria, Spero che tutto sia bene con voi e l'Italia. I am not Italian but I ... A: though I’m not Sicilian and don’t know the Sicilian dialect so well, I can tell you that those who ... | |
| il rito cristiano | 11/18/2008 |
| Q: Salve cara Maraia Potrebbe rispondere alle seguenti domande ,almeno alcuni di cui? -Nel rito ... A: Salve Vandad! Ecco le mie risposte: -La religione Cristiana è ricca di tante belle preghiere ... | |
| Italian song | 11/17/2008 |
| Q: Maria, I have been searching the internet with no luck! I am so glad I stumbled upon this website ... A: I think you are talking about the song “Felicità” (Happiness) sung by then-married couple Albano ... | |
| etymology | 11/14/2008 |
| Q: What is the etymology of the Italian verb "andare"? Latin has two verbs meaning 'to go' - ire and ... A: The most trustworthy theory about the etymology of the Italian verb “andare” is that it derives ... | |
| fare colazione | 11/12/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the definite article is ever included before "colazione" when colazione ... A: when the feminine noun “colazione “ is used as a part of the idiomatic expression "fare colazione", ... | |
| Italian Definite Article | 11/11/2008 |
| Q: I read your recent answer to another questioner about definite article. I was confused about the use ... A: First of all it’s true that in my mother tongue the definite article can be required or not, ... | |
| existential there | 11/10/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentences: Quante biciclette ci sono? (How many bicycles are ... A: Yes, it is so: in the Italian sentences "biciclette" is the subject in both of the sentences ; "ci" ... | |
| interrogative pronoun "chi" | 11/7/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentences: "Chi mangia?" Who is eating? "Chi sei?" Who are ... A: You are correct in thinking that the interrogative pronoun "chi" is the subject in the sentence ... | |
| definite article/habitual action | 11/6/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: "Io gioco la sera dopo il lavoro." Would you please ... A: the definite article can also be used with "mattina", "pomeriggio", and "notte" to express habitual ... | |
| definite article/habitual action | 11/3/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: "Io gioco la sera dopo il lavoro." Would you please ... A: You are partly right:in the sentence "Io gioco la sera dopo il lavoro" the definite article "la" ... | |
| chi | 10/31/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the use and placement of a subject pronoun in a sentence that starts with the ... A: you don't bother me at all! As for your question about the use and placement of a subject pronoun ... | |
| "ci" and "essere" | 10/30/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the adverb of place "ci" when it is used with the verb "essere". One of my ... A: Actually the “ci” in "crederci" is different from the “ci” in "esserci". In fact the particle ... | |
| "chi" as object of preposition | 10/26/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the use and placement of a subject pronoun in a sentence that starts with the ... A: the phrase "Con chi pranzi?" (With whom are you having lunch?) is correct as well as “Tu con chi ... | |
| dove and subject pronoun | 10/25/2008 |
| Q: If a subject pronoun is included for emphasis in a sentence that starts with the interrogative ... A: It is so: if a subject pronoun is included for emphasis in a sentence that starts with the ... | |
| "dove" as an adverb of place | 10/24/2008 |
| Q: Can subject pronouns be used in sentences with the word "dove" when "dove" is used as an adverb of ... A: yes: subject pronouns can be used in sentences with the word "dove" when "dove" is used as an ... | |
| le infinite domande | 10/23/2008 |
| Q: Salve Maria Io imparai la Sua bellissima lingua soltanto con i 2 volumi del libro "la lingua ... A: Caro amico lontano, sono lieta di poterla aiutare in questo suo grande ed ammirevole interesse per ... | |
| use of "assaggiare" | 10/22/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if both of the following sentences are acceptable: Il pane ha un buon ... A: The phrase “Il pane ha un buon sapore” is correct, while “Il pane assaggia buono” is absolutely ... | |
| essere/stare | 10/18/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the difference between the usage of the verbs "essere" and "stare". ... A: You are right: when followed by a predicate adjective, "essere" is used to describe the subject. ... | |
| definite article | 10/15/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I am correct or not in thinking that a definite article must always be ... A: Yes, the indefinite article can also be used with articles of clothing when that article of clothing ... | |
| definite article | 10/14/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I am correct or not in thinking that a definite article must always be ... A: Actually it’s not always true that “a definite article must always be used before an article of ... | |
| queste | 10/13/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following is correct: Queste sono persone. = These are people. ... A: the sentence “Queste sono persone” ( These are people), as a caption under a picture of a group of ... | |
| bere | 10/12/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if there is a reflexive form of the verb "bere" (to drink). If so, would ... A: the transitive verb “bere” (to drink) is sometimes used as a false reflexive when it means that we ... | |
| "au" | 10/11/2008 |
| Q: I am still having a difficult time trying to understand how to pronounce the "au" in words where the ... A: I really understand your difficulty for this matter is not so easy. Anyway here are my answers to ... | |
| pronunciation | 10/10/2008 |
| Q: My question concerns the pronunciation of "au" as in the words "paura" and "aula". I am trying to ... A: it is so: "au" is sometimes an "iato" and sometimes a "dittongo" and it is true that when "au" is ... | |
| pronunciation | 10/9/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand how to correctly pronounce the "ao" in the name "Paolo" First of all, ... A: the name “Paolo” has three syllables as in “Pa-o-lo” and the accent falls on the first syllable ... | |
| domanda | 10/8/2008 |
| Q: Ciao cara Maria! Sono veramente curioso di saper se c'e in italiano un proverbio con questo ... A: Salve! “Portare acqua al mare” è il proverbio che in Italiano corrisponde a “To carry coal to ... | |
| translation | 10/7/2008 |
| Q: Mt question is about the following sentence that I found in a textbook that I am using to study ... A: the word "ci" is included in the sentence you mention simply because it is an adverb of place just ... | |
| definite article | 10/6/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the sentence: "Perche tu bevi acqua?" I am thinking that there is no definite ... A: you are right: in "Perché tu bevi acqua?" there is no definite article before the word "acqua" ... | |
| The scam again | 10/5/2008 |
| Q: I put out a relevant question to Kudoz: ... A: as far as I know, the scam you refer to is called “Abuso d’ufficio” or more specifically “Interesse ... | |
| A Particular Kind of Scam | 10/3/2008 |
| Q: In Greece and Turkey money is frequently made illegally in the following way: 1. I purchase a piece ... A: I think that unfortunately this kind of scam which in English is called “bribe”, i.e. “something, ... | |
| courtesy pronoun | 10/2/2008 |
| Q: I am still having a hard time completely understanding what is meant by the "courtesy pronoun"? Is ... A: You are right: the Italian "courtesy pronoun" can be called also “formal pronoun”, as it is the ... | |
| translations | 10/1/2008 |
| Q: I have finally been able to finish translating the sentences that you gave me to study in my ... A: excellent! Congratulations! The only remark I could make, if I wanted to split hairs, would concern ... | |
| courtesy pronoun | 9/30/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me what is meant by a "courtesy pronoun" as opposed to a "subject pronoun" as ... A: I wrote that in the phrase “Lei che cosa beve?” ( “What do you like to drink?”) the Italian pronoun ... | |
| mere/downright/utter etc. | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, With regard to the Roman leader who played a rather negative part in the war that ... A: The expressions “a pirate pure and simple", "a downright pirate", "nothing more than a pirate“, can ... | |
| translations | 9/28/2008 |
| Q: I have been studying the examples that you gave me. Would you please tell me if I have translated ... A: your translations are good except for a few details in the following phrases: -“Che hai visto?” = ... | |
| subject pronoun | 9/18/2008 |
| Q: This is a followup to my previous question about the subject pronouns in "Lei come va al ... A: first of all you cannot state that you “should never put the subject pronoun directly before the ... | |
| subject pronoun | 9/17/2008 |
| Q: My question concerns the placement of a subject pronoun in a question clause that starts with an ... A: the subject pronoun "lei" is at the beginning of the sentence “Lei come va al ristorante?” before ... | |
| subject placement | 9/15/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have translated the following sentence correctly: Dove viva tua ... A: You’ve correctly placed the subject (nonna) after the verb (‘vive’, not ‘viva’) in the sentence ... | |
| Important | 9/14/2008 |
| Q: Buongiorno, come va? Voglio chiedere una domanda... Perche' si usa "La porta deve essere chiusa, ... A: Salve! Prima di tutto la frase “La porta deve essere chiusa, quando non è usata” suona piuttosto ... | |
| Need translation to English | 9/13/2008 |
| Q: Maria, Would you please translate this e-mail reply for me? "se ci sono problemi di retardo, puoi ... A: Glad to help you with this. So, here’s the translation you need: “If there is some delay problem, ... | |
| cute love/inspirational quote | 9/12/2008 |
| Q: I have a guy friend who's moving away from atlanta to San Diego. i am getting him an engraved ipod ... A: I think that you could use one of the following Italian quotes which express love in the sense you ... | |
| subject and verb placement | 9/11/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the subject and verb placement in the following sentences: Perche papa e in ... A: generally speaking, when a sentence starts with the interrogative conjunction "perché", the subject ... | |
| English Recipe --> Italian | 9/10/2008 |
| Q: I have this recipe in English and I need it translated. Could you please translate it for me? ... A: See below for the translation you asked me. Best regards, Maria ... | |
| Name for choir | 9/9/2008 |
| Q: I have just become apart of a choir of both girls and boys... all teenagers...!!! we are in the ... A: actually I have already answered your question three days ago (on 9/06/08), when you wrote:" Dear ... | |
| Accent mark | 9/8/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to learn italian on my own.I speak Spanish and French my father is italian so I can ... A: In Italian there are two forms of the accent mark: grave (`) and acute (´), while the circumflex ... | |
| svegliare | 9/7/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the verb "svegliare" Would you please tell me if the "sv" in this word is ... A: First of all you have marked correctly the syllables which must be stressed in the present ... | |
| profumare/puzzare | 9/4/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if there is any difference between the use of "profumare" and "avere buon ... A: broadly speaking, there is no difference between "profumare" and "avere buon odore" as well as ... | |
| Italian question | 8/9/2008 |
| Q: I'm not sure if i understand the difference in between these two words. What is the difference ... A: Actually your question is not clear. First of all I think you want to say “visita”, not ... | |
| habitual action | 8/8/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the "singular" definite article is always used with lunedi, martedi, ... A: Actually the singular definite article is used with lunedì, martedì, mercoledì, giovedì, venerdì, ... | |
| habitual action | 8/7/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the "singular" definite article is always used with lunedi, martedi, ... A: In the sentence "Io lavoro il lunedì, il martedì e il giovedì“ we use correctly the singular ... | |
| pronunciation | 8/6/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have marked the correct syllable that should be stressed in the ... A: Excellent! You have marked the correct syllables that must be stressed. As for correct ... | |
| Books to read to learn Italian | 8/5/2008 |
| Q: I'm interested in learning some of the Italian language, so can you recommend some comprehensive ... A: I could suggest the following books and dictionaries you can find at Amazon: -"Teach Yourself ... | |
| literal translation | 8/4/2008 |
| Q: Maria, I am in search of a LITERAL translation for the song Per la Gloria d'adorarvi from the ... A: before giving you the LITERAL translation of “Per la Gloria d'adorarvi from “Griselda” by Giovanni ... | |
| La donna e mobile | 8/3/2008 |
| Q: I would like to be able to learn to pronounce the words to La donna e mobile so I may learn to sing ... A: As I think you want to know the pronunciation of the full aria “La donna è mobile” sung by the ... | |
| da | 7/31/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the meaning and use of the preposition "da" in the following ... A: The Italian preposition “da” in the phrases you mention denotes a ‘place to which’ just because it ... | |
| lyrics translation, song from musical "Sound of Music" | 7/29/2008 |
| Q: I am looking to include some song lyrics in Italian from the musical, "The Sound of Music" in an art ... A: I think that the Italian text you wrote is nothing but a kind of adaptation of 'Maria and the ... | |
| imperfetto | 7/26/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I am correct in the following imperfetto conjugations. I have again ... A: you are in the right: all the accented syllables are correct. Moreover the e's in the 'definire' / ... | |
| accent | 7/25/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if I have marked the correct accent locations in the following ... A: You have marked the correct accent locations in the present indicative of the 1st.conjugation verbs ... | |
| red-/re-/ri- | 7/24/2008 |
| Q: Today I wish to ask you about the Italian and Latin prefix red-/re-/ri-. (I believe that "red-" was ... A: in Italian the prefix 'ri-' corresponds to “back” / “again”, as in “ri-tornare” (to come back/get ... | |
| Che vs di | 7/19/2008 |
| Q: Maria, I have been going over this sentence in my head for a while now. How would one say, "I speak ... A: the correct translation of "I speak Italian better than you speak English" is the following: “Io ... | |
| etiquette | 7/15/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if "buon pomeriggio" and "buona sera" can be used as both formal and ... A: it is so: "Buon pomeriggio" and "Buona sera" as well as “Buon giorno” can be used as both formal and ... | |
| definition | 7/11/2008 |
| Q: what does "cara" mean in italian ? A: The Italian adjective "cara" in the feminine singular means "dear" /”darling” like in the following ... | |
| translation | 7/10/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me the translation of the following sentence: Lui beve il caffe dopo il ... A: The phrase you mention translates as “He drinks coffee after work”. Please note that in Italian we ... | |
| use of cenare | 7/9/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if it correct to say both "La famiglia mangia la cena" and "La famiglia ... A: you must say “La famiglia cena” or “La famiglia sta cenando”, while “La famiglia mangia la cena" ... | |
| Adam's apple | 7/5/2008 |
| Q: What is the Italian and Latin for "Adam's apple", please? I mean the bulge in front of a man's ... A: in Italian we say “Il pomo d’Adamo” just meaning ‘the bulge in front of a man's windpipe’. As for ... | |
| definite article | 7/4/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the use of the definite article with the words "pranzo", "cena", and ... A: actually I have to point out that the rule you mention, i.e. that the definite article should not ... | |
| definite article | 7/3/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the use and meaning of the definite article "il" in the ... A: Generally speaking, we can say “Io bevo il caffè” to mean either "I drink coffee" or "I drink my ... | |
| Translations | 7/2/2008 |
| Q: G'day, I'm 15 and my family on my father's side is no Italian I laugh! But God I love it all. Great ... A: First of all here are the translations of “What do you want?” and “Why are you doing that?”: ... | |
| definite article | 7/1/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the use and meaning of the definite article "il" in the ... A: “Lei dove beve il caffè?”, just meaning either “Where do you drink the coffee? “ or "Where do you ... | |
| definite article | 6/30/2008 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: Tu hai fratelli e sorelle? (Do you have brothers and ... A: the phrase “Tu hai fratelli e sorelle?” is correct as well as “Tu hai dei fratelli e delle ... | |
| meaning | 6/29/2008 |
| Q: what is pizza means in ITALIAN A: The feminine noun “pizza”, which seems to derive from the Latin verb “pinsare” (to knead), means ... | |
| mattina, pomeriggio, sera, notte | 6/26/2008 |
| Q: I am using a computer course to study Italian. This course shows various pictures with written ... A: glad to help you. So, if you had pictures where you see reproduced the morning, the afternoon, ... | |
| mattina, pomeriggio, sera, notte | 6/25/2008 |
| Q: I am using a computer course to study Italian. This course shows various pictures with written ... A: I’ll begin by saying that your translations are correct, since it is true that: -mattina = morning ... | |
| mattino | 6/23/2008 |
| Q: Would you please explain the difference between "mattino" (ending in "o") and "mattina" (ending in ... A: actually there is no difference in meaning between the masculine noun “mattino”, which is the ... | |
| proper translation | 6/22/2008 |
| Q: I would like to properly say "It has been nice speaking with you" in Italian to someone I do not ... A: Here’s the proper translation of the phrase "It has been nice speaking with you", when addressed ... | |
| Italian Pronunciation | 6/21/2008 |
| Q: I have been trying to find websites that translate English words into Italian. But I can't find any ... A: unfortunately I cannot recommend any website that shows the written pronunciation along with the ... | |
| Ciao Buon Giorno | 6/20/2008 |
| Q: Would you please explain when it is proper to say "ciao" as opposed to saying "buon giorno". ... A: it is proper to say “ciao” only to express an informal greeting meaning either "goodbye" or "hello" ... | |
| Wedding message in Italian | 6/18/2008 |
| Q: I'll like to write a small note to my friend in Italian, congratulating her on her wedding and ... A: Here’s the wedding message in Italian you asked me: Carissima…..,[put here the name of your friend] ... | |
| italian | 6/16/2008 |
| Q: how do u say (beautiful hair) and also (beautiful world) in italian please A: in Italian we say "bei capelli" for "beautiful hair" like in “Lei ha dei bei capelli” (She has ... | |
| marriage anniversary | 6/14/2008 |
| Q: my two close Italian friends are going to celebrate the 1st anniversary of their marriage,i wish if ... A: I think you could send the following message: Carissimi, in occasione del vostro primo ... | |
| definite article | 6/13/2008 |
| Q: I have managed to confuse myself very much over the use or non-use of the definite article with ... A: First of all the phrase “Ho occhiali” is absolutely wrong, unless you add “da sole” / ”da vista”, ... | |
| prepositions and seasons | 6/12/2008 |
| Q: My question is about use of the prepositions "di" and "in" with the words "estate", "autunno", ... A: Please note that: -We say :“In estate” /” D’estate”; “In inverno” / “D’inverno”/ . Either "in" or ... | |
| Song question | 6/10/2008 |
| Q: I will be playing music at a dance, for my friends parents 25th anniversary. Is there any ceremonial ... A: I’m sorry, but I know no ceremonial Italian song played for the 25th anniversary, although I am ... | |
| about matrimonio and maritarsi | 6/9/2008 |
| Q: all my grateful appreciation for your answer on the 4 italian words for marriage: you were ... A: Glad to have helped you some time ago. You are right: the word ‘matrimony’ ("matrimonio" in ... | |
| adressing a baby | 6/6/2008 |
| Q: I am making a sign to hang on the door of a friends nursery and want to make it say something sweet, ... A: Glad to help you. So "little one" would be in Italian “La mia bimba” or “La mia bambina” as well as ... | |
| Writing a letter in Italian | 6/4/2008 |
| Q: We met a distant cousin while visiting Sicily afew yers ago. She recently sent us some gifts and ... A: I’m glad to help you. So below is the translation of your text. Best regards from Italy, Maria ... | |
| italian surnames not ending in a vowl | 6/2/2008 |
| Q: Maria My Grandparents came to the us in 1950 from the Friuli region of Italy. My surname is ... A: First of all in Italy there is nobody who espresses doubt about the Italian surnames ending in a ... | |
| Cartone | 5/27/2008 |
| Q: I recently went to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London to see "the Rafael cartoons", “i cartoni ... A: The Italian word “cartone” (originally the augmentative of “carta”, as you say) has four meanings ... | |
| definite article | 5/25/2008 |
| Q: I am still confused and I hope that you will not mind another question on this same topic. Is it ... A: No trouble at all! When I state that the "the definite article can be omitted when body parts are ... | |
| definite article | 5/24/2008 |
| Q: I am still confused and I hope that you will not mind another question on this same topic. Is it ... A: I do realize that you are still confused and can't say you’re wrong, as this matter is not so easy. ... | |
| definite article | 5/23/2008 |
| Q: I am still trying to understand when and when not to use the definite article. I encountered the ... A: First of all it’s not always true that "the definite article is always placed before body parts". ... | |
| abito / vestitio | 5/22/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the difference between "abito" and "vestito". Thank you. ... A: actually there is no difference between the masculine nouns "abito" and "vestito", since they both ... | |
| maglia maglione | 5/21/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me what the difference is between "maglia" and "maglione". Thank you. Rich A: the masculine noun “maglione”/”il maglione” which is an augmentative of “maglia” means “sweater / ... | |
| pronunciation | 5/19/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following accent locations are correct for the imperfetto of ... A: The accent locations for the imperfetto of "definire” are correct. As for the pattern applied to ... | |
| definiva | 5/18/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the translation of the verb "definiva" in the following" Una canzone ... A: In the Italian phrase “Una canzone popolare di quei tempi definiva l'America ‘allegra e bella’“, the ... | |
| '900 | 5/17/2008 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what the apostrophe that is placed before the "900" means in the following: ... A: the apostrophe placed before the "900" in the expression “all'inizio del '900” is merely a special ... | |
| english to italian | 5/1/2008 |
| Q: i would like translations of italian dishes from english to italian... if you are willing, i will ... A: Actually I have no great interest in cuisine and then I don’t want to translate the whole menu you ... | |
| ciao | 4/28/2008 |
| Q: is it a verb or a noun A: The Italian word “ciao” is neither a verb nor a noun, but an interjection used to express greeting ... | |
| asking questions | 4/26/2008 |
| Q: Could you please tell me if the verb comes before or after a demonstrative pronoun when asking a ... A: Commonly the verb comes before a demonstrative pronoun when asking a question. Therefore the ... | |
| English to Italian conversion of recipes -HELP!- | 4/25/2008 |
| Q: Maria, Hello again! You helped me with the translation of a letter to my family in Italy earlier ... A: glad to have helped you not long ago. As for the recipe, here’s its translation: INSALATA DI ... | |
| La Meglio Gioventù | 4/24/2008 |
| Q: First of all, congratulations on Valentina’s appointment. I am watching the miniseries “La Meglio ... A: First of all, thanks for your congratulations. As for the title of the miniseries “La Meglio ... | |
| seduta | 4/22/2008 |
| Q: I hope you don't mind yet another question from me, but would you please help me with the term ... A: the term "seduta" we use for example in the sentence "La donna è seduta"/ "La donna stava ... | |
| seduta | 4/21/2008 |
| Q: I hope you don't mind yet another question from me, but would you please help me with the term ... A: You are right: “La donna è seduta“ means: "The woman is sitting". In this sentence however “seduta” ... | |
| "in piedi" | 4/20/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following: Does "in piedi" have to be used along with a verb such ... A: usually we say : -“Sto in piedi” (I stand) -“Era in piedi” (He was standing) -“Siamo stati in ... | |
| terms | 4/19/2008 |
| Q: Would you please explain the difference between the following terms: la macchinetta la videocamera ... A: here are my answers: -“la macchinetta” / “una macchinetta” is simply the diminutive of the noun ... | |
| prepositions | 4/18/2008 |
| Q: I have a reference book that states "ascoltare" (to listen to), "aspettare" (to wait for), and ... A: Yes, you are right: it is more accurate to say that "aspettare" is not followed by a preposition ... | |
| volere | 4/17/2008 |
| Q: Would you tell me if the following syllables and accent locations are correct for the present ... A: First of all accent locations are correct. As for the Italian expression "volere bene a" , both ... | |
| Question | 4/16/2008 |
| Q: What would the sentences be in Englis? 1)Qual è il tuo capo di abbigliamento preferito? 2)Che cosa ... A: here are the translations you asked me. 1)”What item of clothing do you like best?” ( Qual è il ... | |
| prepositions | 4/13/2008 |
| Q: "Hello" again. I hope you are doing good. I hope you don't mind, but I have a question about the ... A: All is fine. Thanks. As for your grammatical question, you are right: "La ciotola è sul tavolo" ... | |
| Letter | 4/12/2008 |
| Q: Ciao Maria, I have recently moved to Italy and I'm slowly learning the language, its beautiful ... A: Here’s the translation you asked me: Spero che la scuola ti vada bene. Mi manca la dolce ... | |
| prepositions | 4/11/2008 |
| Q: My question concerns the following sentence: "Chi va all'albergo?" Would you please tell me if the ... A: actually the phrase “Chi va all’albergo?” is not so correct, as it is better to say “Chi va in ... | |
| preposition "per" | 4/8/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the use of the preposition "per" in the following sentence: "Questa e la ... A: Firstly you are right: the phrase "Questa è la toletta per uomini” means exactly: "This is the ... | |
| sentence structure | 4/7/2008 |
| Q: My question concerns the use of an interrogative adverb in a question clause that also has a subject ... A: "Lei come va al ristorante?" (How are you going to the restaurant?) is correct as well as “Come va ... | |
| translation | 4/6/2008 |
| Q: You got me thinking and I came up with the phrase "Come celebrate the sweet life with us" Would you ... A: I’m sorry, but the Italian translation of "Come celebrate the sweet life with us” would sound ... | |
| preposition "in" | 4/2/2008 |
| Q: I am sorry to bother you again, but would you please help me with the following. I am wondering ... A: No bother at all! So, the sentences “Il computer è nella camera da letto” (The computer is in the ... | |
| prepositions | 4/1/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand why the preposition "in" is articulated in the first sentence ... A: First of all the phrase “La cucina è nella casa” sounds quite strange in Italian as we would say for ... | |
| sentence structure | 3/31/2008 |
| Q: My question concerns the use of an interrogative adjective in a question clause that also has a ... A: You are correct in thinking that the phrase “Voi quante tazze avete?" (or simply “Quante tazze ... | |
| Un pasto dalla (presso la?) “Dolce Vita” (hope that's okay for “A meal at the ‘Dolce Vita’”) | 3/30/2008 |
| Q: Just before Easter, Aygül and I had a meal at a restaurant, “La Dolce Vita”. Do you use this ... A: First of all “A meal at the ‘Dolce Vita’” is in Italian “Un pasto al 'Dolce Vita' ” where the ... | |
| subject pronoun | 3/14/2008 |
| Q: Would you please explain why the placement of the subject pronoun LEI is wrong in "Che cosa lei ... A: the subject pronoun, if used, is usually placed before the conjugated verb like in “Io vado a Roma”, ... | |
| word order | 3/13/2008 |
| Q: I hope that you will not mind my asking you, yet again, another question. My question is about the ... A: First of all your translations are correct. In fact “Lei che cosa beve?“ can mean either “What is ... | |
| present participle used as an adjective | 3/12/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following: "Lui e insegnante." is translated as "He is teaching." ... A: actually the phrase "He is teaching" means “Egli ( lui) insegna” in the sense that this person is ... | |
| definite article | 3/11/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand why the definite article is not included in front of "libri" ... A: Do not worry: no trouble at all. As for the definite article in Italian, I have to point out that ... | |
| definite article | 3/10/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand why the definite article is not included in front of "libri" ... A: In the sentence “Le donne non hanno libri” (The women do not have books) the definite article is not ... | |
| Puccini | 3/8/2008 |
| Q: I've found a web site for Italian surnames, but Puccini isn't there. What does it mean and what is ... A: the surname “Puccini” which is of Tuscan origin derives from the medieval Latin name “Puccius” which ... | |
| lokanta | 3/7/2008 |
| Q: You might be interested to know that the standard Turkish word for restaurant is “lokanta”, a word ... A: Yes, I’m interested to know this standard Turkish word for restaurant. The term “lokanta” seems to ... | |
| avere vs essere (again) | 3/6/2008 |
| Q: I saw your previous answers about when to use avere vs essere in compound verbs and they were great. ... A: when the dictionary says you can use either “avere” or “essere” in compound verbs depending on ... | |
| Pronunciation of a word in Italian | 3/5/2008 |
| Q: I am teaching myself Italian with the help of books and so forth. I have found one verb that I do ... A: You must emphasize the first syllable of "visitano” (they visit) as if there were an accent on the ... | |
| Translation | 3/4/2008 |
| Q: How would you translate the phrase "fuori dal seminato" into English? Thanks for your help A: “Fuori dal seminato”, i.e. “uscire dal seminato” which is an idiomatic expression to mean that ... | |
| Have a question on Italian | 3/3/2008 |
| Q: I'm learning italian right now. I don't understand the difference and when to use the following: Io ... A: first of all the phrases you mention, i.e. “Io sono stanco” and “Io ho fame” mean exactly “I’m ... | |
| un paio di scarpe | 3/1/2008 |
| Q: In the following: un paio di scarpe (a pair of shoes) Is the preposition "di" being used for ... A: In ”Un paio di scarpe” (a pair of shoes) the preposition "di" (‘of‘ in English) is used for ... | |
| reflexive verbs | 2/28/2008 |
| Q: I think that I am now able to recognize a reflexive verb when I see or hear one in a sentence that ... A: You can say “Metto i jeans”/ “Tolgo i jeans” as well as “Mi metto i jeans” /”Mi tolgo i jeans” ... | |
| reflexive verbs | 2/27/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the following sentence: Mi metto i jeans. (I wear jeans.) I found this ... A: The phrase “Mi metto i jeans” (I wear jeans) is correct. In this sentence "mi metto" is a ... | |
| definite article | 2/25/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the definite article "il" should be included in the following sentence: ... A: the phrase “Questo è il volo numero 234” (This is Flight Number 234) is absolutely correct . In ... | |
| Formal letter. Proofread translation please! | 2/24/2008 |
| Q: Ciao Maria! I would be so much grateful to you if you could please proofread this formal letter that ... A: first of all I want to congratulate you on your translation which is grammatically correct, though ... | |
| future tense pronunciation | 2/23/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with learning where the accent should be located on third person, plural ... A: in Italian the accent of the 3rd. person plural of future tense verbs must be located exactly on ... | |
| MEANING OF DELA CASA | 2/22/2008 |
| Q: I have recently registered a company and I was given a list of names to choose my company name. I ... A: First of all the correct Italian expression is DELLA CASA which can be interpreted in two ways: ... | |
| Opera | 2/21/2008 |
| Q: Maria, I am reading the libretto from Turandot. Che cosa, "noi morrem sulla strada dell'esilio". I ... A: “Noi morrem sulla strada dell’esilio”, the sentence uttered by Liù, the slave girl of Timur, the ... | |
| Tosca | 2/20/2008 |
| Q: I recently watched a version of “Tosca”, which I really loved. I was, however, greatly confused by ... A: you are right: “Un orto mal chiuso” is simply a garden with a broken-down fence. As for “un ... | |
| ritratto | 2/19/2008 |
| Q: I'm a bit puzzled by the morphology of the word “ritratto”. What does “ri” mean here, please? Also, ... A: the noun “ritratto” derives from the past participle “retractus” of the Latin verb “retrahere” ... | |
| brutto & netto | 2/18/2008 |
| Q: I believe that the original Italian for “gross” is “brutto” and that “net”, the opposite, is ... A: actually the original Italian for “gross” (from late Latin “grossus”) is “grossolano” / “rozzo” / ... | |
| My Mothers Name | 2/13/2008 |
| Q: My mother, who recently died, was always called Esther but in finding her birth certificate says her ... A: The Italian name “Pasqua” means “Easter”, the Christian feast which marks the Resurrection of Jesus ... | |
| definite article | 2/12/2008 |
| Q: Should the definite article be included in the following sentence: "Porto gli occhiali da sole." ... A: "Porto gli occhiali da sole" (I wear sunglasses) is correct. As for “Ho bisogno degli occhiali da ... | |
| My last name | 2/11/2008 |
| Q: is Panella. and I know its italian. but i cant figure out what it means. can you help me?? A: your surname derives from the masculine medieval Latin name 'Panellus' which derived in turn from ... | |
| ne | 2/10/2008 |
| Q: Is there a special grammatical name for the pronoun "ne" that is used to refer to things previously ... A: the pronoun "ne" used to refer to things or persons previously mentioned is called in Italian ... | |
| Pronouns | 2/9/2008 |
| Q: Using these instructions- Sostituisca i nomi sottolineati con i pronomi adatti. So the sentence is ... A: the correct pronoun in the phrase you mention is "LE" (3rd person feminine singular)in the sense ... | |
| Burlasconi :) | 2/8/2008 |
| Q: It was most interesting reading your accounts of the meanings etc. of various names. You mention ... A: The surname Berlusconi which is quite common in Lombardia, especially close to Milano, seems to ... | |
| Italian surnames | 2/6/2008 |
| Q: Please could you let me know the pronunciation (and, most importantly, the stress) of the following ... A: the surname “Dettòri “, which is of Sardinian origin, even if it is quite common in the rest of ... | |
| use of "degli" as partitive article | 2/5/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following translations are correct: "Porta degli stivali." = "He ... A: the Italian phrases "Porta degli stivali" / "Porta degli occhiali da sole” are correct. In these ... | |
| weather expressions | 2/4/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the difference between the use of "avere" and "fare" in ... A: First of all the phrases “Ho freddo” ( I am cold); “Hai freddo” ( You are cold); “Ha freddo” (He ... | |
| italian pronounciation | 2/3/2008 |
| Q: how does an italian say "Perugia"? A: here's the correct Italian pronunciation of each letter of the city name "Perugia": -P like the P ... | |
| all'ambasciata | 2/2/2008 |
| Q: I am sorry, but I am still confused with this topic. I hope that you will not mind the following ... A: The sentence "Io e mio fratello siamo all'ambasciata", printed under a picture of a man and a woman ... | |
| all'ambasciata | 1/31/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following? Is the word "ambasciata" only used with preposition ... A: First of all there is no dictionary or book that lists the correct preposition to use with ... | |
| colazione pranzo cena | 1/30/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following is correct: (1) The definite article is never used with ... A: The correct phrases are the following: -“Ecco la colazione” ( Here is your breakfast). -“Ecco la ... | |
| Italian language | 1/29/2008 |
| Q: I am going to Italy and I have kidney failure. My kidneys do not process potassium. Tomatoes are ... A: here’s the translation of "I can not eat tomato sauce": -“Non posso mangiare la salsa (or ‘il ... | |
| Italian Translation | 1/27/2008 |
| Q: I recently returned from a great trip to Italy where I met many great people and am tryng to update ... A: Glad to help you. So, here’s the translation: “Ciao a tutti, Sto aggiornando la mia agenda e ... | |
| sentence structure | 1/26/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the structure of the following sentence: "E pronto per ordinare?" (Please ... A: In “E’ pronto per ordinare?" (Are you ready to order?) the adjective "pronto" (ready) is used ... | |
| Italian translation | 1/25/2008 |
| Q: Maria, Hello. My husband and I visited our family in Italy in 2004 & 2007. We are trying to visit ... A: I’ve traslated your letter you can see below.I’ve however two doubts.Here they are: 1-when you say ... | |
| Premio Strega | 1/23/2008 |
| Q: Please, what exactly is “Premio Strega”? Doesn't it mean “witch prize”? Or is “Strega” a surname? ... A: the “Premio Strega”, i.e. “The Strega Prize” derives its name from an Italian herb-flavoured ... | |
| Italian translation | 1/22/2008 |
| Q: Maria, Hello. My husband and I visited our family in Italy in 2004 & 2007. We are trying to visit ... A: First of all I have to tell you that unfortunately automatic online translators are absolutely ... | |
| eccola eccoli | 1/21/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following: Can "ecco" plus the atonic enclitic particle "la" be ... A: "ecco" plus the atonic enclitic particle "la" can be used as "eccola" meaning "here you are" in the ... | |
| reflexive verb | 1/20/2008 |
| Q: I am sorry to bother you, yet again, with another question. But, would you please help me with the ... A: It is so: the picture of a man on the telephone saying "Vorrei prenotare, per piacere” denotes ... | |
| position of reflexive pronouns | 1/19/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the following question? When a reflexive verb is linked to a ... A: first of all the reflexive pronoun, which usually is attached to the end of the reflexive verb ... | |
| "bagaglio" e "bagagli" | 1/18/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the words "bagaglio" and "bagagli". I do not know when to use the ... A: Both "Il bagaglio è nell'atrio" and "I bagagli sono nell'atrio" are correct, of course! Anyway ... | |
| use of prepositions | 1/17/2008 |
| Q: My question is about how to choose the correct preposition to use with the word "letto". I do not ... A: The use of "su" with "letto" in a phrase like "Il bambino è sul letto" is correct, while “Il ... | |
| Potere vs Riuscire | 1/16/2008 |
| Q: Maria, I am trying to understand the differences between riuscire and potere. My basic ... A: your basic understanding is correct, if you refer to the negative form of the verbs ‘riuscire’ and ... | |
| prepositions | 1/15/2008 |
| Q: I am still confused about the use of prepositions. I have learned that some words require a ... A: You are right: the phrase you mention "Si ferma in albergo per una notte" can mean either: "She/ He ... | |
| Illucinante | 1/14/2008 |
| Q: I have come across the word "illucinante" several times in Italian. I hear it used often in ... A: the correct adjective is ‘allucinante’ whose literal and metaphorical meanings are the following: ... | |
| reflexive verbs | 1/13/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if intransitive verbs (such as stare and andare) have reflexive verb forms. ... A: intransitive verbs (such as ‘stare’ and ‘andare’) do not have reflexive forms, but they can be in ... | |
| verbs meaning | 1/12/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the differences between the use of following verbs: lasciare ... A: In the phrase “Enrico va via dall’albergo” the verb “andare via”, which is the same as “andasene”, ... | |
| verbs meaning "to leave" | 1/11/2008 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the differences between the use of following verbs: lasciare ... A: The verb which is best used when talking about someone leaving a hotel as in “Enrico lascia ... | |
| modal verbs | 1/10/2008 |
| Q: Hello again. Thank you for your help with my previous questions. Would you please tell me if the ... A: I’m really happy that my efforts are not wasted on you, as you’ve said when you rated me. You are in ... | |
| reflexive verbs | 1/9/2008 |
| Q: Can you please tell me how I can know when I should use the reflexive form of a verb as opposed to ... A: "Vorrei fermarmi per tre notti" (I would like to stay for three nights) is correct because in this ... | |
| subjunction | 1/8/2008 |
| Q: I am sorry to be so ignorant, but I do not know the term "subjunction". Would you please explain ... A: Generally speaking, an Italian subjunction, also known as a “conjunction” (Congiunzione), is the ... | |
| conjugated verb, per, plus infinitive | 1/7/2008 |
| Q: concerning use of "per" with infinitives. As always, your answer helps me very much. I still have ... A: you’re confused, I see, but I’ll try to make all this a little bit clearer, I hope at least!. So, ... | |
| use of "per" before infinitives | 1/6/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the following sentence: Quanto tempo desidera fermarsi all'albergo? I ... A: firstly you must say: ‘Quanto tempo desidera fermarsi IN albergo?’, NOT ‘all’albergo’, which is not ... | |
| Law of retribution | 1/5/2008 |
| Q: could you tell me please how Dante calls the "Law of retribution" in his Divine Comedy? Also, what's ... A: “Legge del contrappasso” ("Law of retribution" ) is the expression used by Dante, as he himself ... | |
| subject and verb placement | 1/4/2008 |
| Q: I hope you don't mind another question. Is the subject always placed after the verb in ... A: I really don’t mind your questions. As for the placement of the subject in interrogative sentences ... | |
| use of preposition "di" for specification | 1/3/2008 |
| Q: I am still trying to completely understand when to use the simple preposition di and when to use the ... A: It is so: "mezzi di trasporto” refers to transportation in general. Because the specification is ... | |
| 'The Wheelbarrow' | 1/2/2008 |
| Q: May I have some information or better a critical analysis of the short story 'The Wheelbarrow' by ... A: The short story, 'The Wheelbarrow' (“La carriola” in Italian), written in 1916 by Luigi Pirandello, ... | |
| chiave della camera | 1/2/2008 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if "chiave della camera" is the correct way to say "room key" in regards to ... A: Yes, "chiave della camera" is the correct way to say "room key" in regards to the key for a hotel ... | |
| reflexive pronouns | 12/31/2007 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the following chart of short form and compound form of reflexive ... A: your chart of short forms and compound forms of reflexive pronouns is correct. As for a name for ... | |
| Marcus Aurelius Antonius | 12/30/2007 |
| Q: There is a phrase by Marcus Aurelius Antonius that I would like to have in it's original language; ... A: If you want an Italian translation of “Live not one's life as though one had a thousand years, but ... | |
| reflexive pronouns | 12/28/2007 |
| Q: once again, for all of your great help. I am wondering about the particle "si" and the pronoun "se ... A: First of all I’m always glad to help you, as you show great interest in Italian language and then ... | |
| reflexive pronouns | 12/27/2007 |
| Q: My question is about the following sentence: "Lui si registra." I am trying to understand the ... A: The Italian phrase “Lui si registra”, where the particle “si” stands for the pronoun “se stesso” ... | |
| adverb | 12/22/2007 |
| Q: My questions concern the use of the adverb "ci". Would you please tell me if "ci" is used to say ... A: In “Eccoci” the atonic enclitic particle “ci” is either an adverb of place where, corresponding ... | |
| adverb "ci" | 12/21/2007 |
| Q: My questions concern the use of the adverb "ci". Would you please tell me if "ci" is used to say ... A: Actually the Italian phrase “"Ci sono due biglietti" means “"There are two tickets", not "Here are ... | |
| translation | 12/18/2007 |
| Q: Can you please tell me what the meaning of this is in English "la vendetta e un freddo il piu bene ... A: First of all the correct Italian phrase is the following: “La vendetta è un piatto che va mangiato ... | |
| guidare | 12/17/2007 |
| Q: My question is about the verb "guidare". Is it true that "guidare" is translated into English as ... A: I think you want to say “guardare”, not “guidare” which does not mean “to look at”, but “to lead”, ... | |
| "Prego, mi dica!" "Mi dica!" "Dica!" | 12/16/2007 |
| Q: waiter, or salesclerk may say the following when talking to a customer. "Prego, mi dica!" "Mi ... A: Here are my answers: 1st.“Is "dica" being used as the imperative verb form?” ANSWER: In the ... | |
| -one | 12/15/2007 |
| Q: Many thanks for the excellent recent help. I was wondering about “patrone”, patronus in Latin. Now, ... A: Actually the word “patrone” does not exist in Italian where we have “patrono” from “patronus” which ... | |
| volta/volte | 12/14/2007 |
| Q: Does Italian have words like semel, bis, ter etc. or must you always say “una volta, due volte” etc. ... A: We haven't words like ‘semel’,‘bis’,‘ter’,‘quater’,‘quinquies’, etc., but we must say “una volta”, ... | |
| follow-up: "Desidera?" | 12/13/2007 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the translation of the following: A cashier who is selling ... A: first of all you cannot answer simply “Yes” when a cashier, a waiter, or a salesclerk says ... | |
| "desidera" | 12/11/2007 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the translation of the following: A cashier who is selling ... A: you’re right: your translation of “Desidera?” and “Sì, vorrei due biglietti per il film” is correct ... | |
| preposition "a" | 12/9/2007 |
| Q: Would you please explain to me why the definite article is used after the preposition "a" (the ... A: It’s not so easy to explain what you are asking me as in this case there is no grammatical rule, but ... | |
| use of "In" | 12/8/2007 |
| Q: I do not know if there should be a definite article after the preposition "in" in the following ... A: The phrase “Aspetto in fila per comprare un biglietto” is correct. See also : “Era in fila in ... | |
| last names | 12/6/2007 |
| Q: is DiFelice an italian last name? because someone said they cant end in an "e". do you know if this ... A: First of all the Italian last names can end in the vowel “e” as well as in the other vowels like ... | |
| giocare a | 12/4/2007 |
| Q: Would you please tell me if the definite article should be included after "giocare a" ... A: We say preferably “Gioca a calcio” (He is playing soccer) as well as we say “Giocare a carte” (to ... | |
| using "essere" plus "profession" | 11/29/2007 |
| Q: Is is true that the indefinite article is not used after the verb "essere" before a "profession"? ... A: Actually it is not always true that the indefinite article is not used after the verb "essere" ... | |
| When To end Verb in 'are' | 11/27/2007 |
| Q: Why is 'E pronto per ordinare' (meaning 'Are YOU ready to order' not E pronto per ordina ('ordina' ... A: In Italian we say “E’ pronto per ordinare?”( Are you ready to order?), but NOT “E pronto per ... | |
| eccolo | 11/26/2007 |
| Q: Would you please help me to understand the use of "eccolo". I have seen this word used in the ... A: the explanation is very easy: the Italian adverb “ecco” without the direct object pronoun "lo" ... | |
| modal verbs | 11/25/2007 |
| Q: Would you please help with with the following questions about modal verbs. Is it true that both ... A: Don't worry: no trouble at all. So, here are my answers to your questions: 1-Yes, it is true that ... | |
| Invitation in Italian | 11/24/2007 |
| Q: How to you print, YOU'RE INVITED in Italian. MAny thanks for your help. A: in Italian we say: -"Sei invitato", if YOU refers to a 2nd.person singular in the masculine, that ... | |
| infinitives | 11/22/2007 |
| Q: My question concerns the infinitive form of Italian verbs. This is hard for me to understand ... A: Actually the phrase "E pronto per ordinare?" you can hear in an Italian restaurant corresponds to ... | |
| prenotare | 11/19/2007 |
| Q: Would you please help me learn the correct way to use the verb "prenotare" when making dinner ... A: To make a reservation for dinner / lunch we say: -“Vorrei, per favore, prenotare un tavolo per ... | |
| italian madrigali | 11/18/2007 |
| Q: i'm a classical music lover and i'd appreciate to have this madrigali by Claudio ... A: this Monteverdi-Rinuccini madrigal (music by Claudio Monteverdi - verse by Ottavio Rinuccini) tells ... | |
| pronunciation of "Angela" | 11/16/2007 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the pronunciation of the name "Angela". I think from listening, that ... A: the name Angela must be pronounced as follows: A like the A in ‘cat’/'father'/’attend’ The accent ... | |
| a casa a la casa | 11/14/2007 |
| Q: First of all - thank you for all your excellent help. Would you please tell me if there is a ... A: I’m really glad to help you! So, in Italian we say “a casa” meaning “at home” or “ at the house” ... | |
| la camera di consultazione | 11/12/2007 |
| Q: In "la camera di consultazione" (the examination room): Is it correct to say that "di" is used ... A: actually we don’t use to say “la camera di consultazione”. We say “sala di consultazione” (not ... | |
| la mia famiglia | 11/10/2007 |
| Q: Should the definite article be included before the possessive adjective in the following sentence: ... A: yes, the phrase "Sono a casa con la mia famiglia” is correct. With the word “famiglia” in fact the ... | |
| noun used as adjective | 11/7/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to understand how to use the preposition "di" in order to have a noun act as an ... A: In the expressions “sedia di plastica “(plastic chair ) and “succo d'arancia” (orange juice) as well ... | |
| Pron | 11/5/2007 |
| Q: Please could you give me the exact pronunciation of the following words? 1 Fiesole 2 Bertoli ... A: You must say “Fièsole” and “Bèrtoli”. In the toponym Fièsole which derives from Latin “Faesulae” ... | |
| desiderare volere | 11/4/2007 |
| Q: Would you please tell me what the difference is between the use of the verb "desiderare", in the ... A: You are right: the reply “Sì, vorrei della frutta. Grazie” not only is absolutely correct, but also ... | |
| italian phrase | 11/3/2007 |
| Q: I was wondering if you could help me translate this phrase. To each his own in this beautiful ... A: In Italian we say: "A ciascuno il suo in questo splendido mondo". or more concisely: “A ciascuno ... | |
| desiderare volere | 11/2/2007 |
| Q: Would you please tell me what the difference is between the use of the verb "desiderare", in the ... A: When a waitress and a customer are talking about what the customer would like to order, he/she can ... | |
| Asilo Nido | 11/1/2007 |
| Q: Would you please help me with the term "Asilo Nido" Does this translate as "Day Care Center"? ... A: Firstly I’d like to point out that the Italian word “nido” literally means “nest”, i.e. a place ... | |
| present conditional | 10/29/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to learn how to pronounce the "present conditional verb tense". Would you please ... A: Yes, it is so: the accent locations I've indicated in the present conditional ENDINGS of "volere" ... | |
| present conditional | 10/28/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to learn how to pronounce the "present conditional verb tense". Would you please ... A: In the "present conditional verb tense" such as in“ amerei” (from “amare”,1st.conjugation), ... | |
| "frutta" "frutto" | 10/25/2007 |
| Q: Would you please explain the difference between the terms "frutta" and "frutto". Thank you very ... A: Generally speaking, the masculine noun “il frutto”(”i frutti” in the plural ) indicates a single ... | |
| use of "ecco" and "signora" | 10/24/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the difference between "Ecco la Sua cena" and "Ecco la cena" I think ... A: You are right: "Ecco la Sua cena" means "Here is your dinner" and is used in formal settings such as ... | |
| time expressions | 10/23/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the following expressions: "alla sera" which I think means "in the ... A: Your translations are correct. In Italian in fact we can say :”Alla sera” or “Di sera”; “Alla ... | |
| use of "guardare" and prepositions | 10/20/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the use of the verb "guardare" with prepositions. I know that this verb ... A: Unfortunately I cannot suggest any guidelines that might help you because the verb “guardare”, when ... | |
| Do you forstay? | 10/19/2007 |
| Q: my grandmother came from Italy, but she spoke a dialect because my uncle who served in Germany in ... A: I’m sorry, but there is no Italian word which sounds like “forstay”. The Italian verbs for “to ... | |
| preposition | 10/16/2007 |
| Q: Can you please explain the grammatical reason why the preposition "di" in included in the phrase: ... A: the "courtesy form” or "courtesy formula” means that this phrase is used when someone has been ... | |
| preposition "di" | 10/15/2007 |
| Q: Can you please explain the grammatical reason why the preposition "di" in included in the phrase: ... A: the grammatical reason why the simple preposition DI is included in the phrase “Piacere di ... | |
| Learning the Italian language. | 10/14/2007 |
| Q: I am very proud of my Italian heritage and have been trying to learn the language for over a year ... A: I am very pleased to know that you are proud of your Italian heritage and really hope I can help you ... | |
| subject pronouns | 10/11/2007 |
| Q: Are there any guidelines that I can follow to help me know when and how to correctly use subject ... A: maybe you could see the below Italian site where you can find some explanations and grammar ... | |
| Can "dove" be used as object of preposition | 10/10/2007 |
| Q: In the sentence: "Di dove sei?" is "di dove" a prepositional phrase that is made up of the ... A: First of all "Di dov'e Pam?" is the correct way to say "Where is Pam from?". As for “Di dove sei?” ... | |
| "scusi" vs "mi scusi" | 10/9/2007 |
| Q: Is there any difference between saying "mi scusi" vs "scusi" when excusing oneself? I'm thinking ... A: Actually the expressions "mi scusi" and "scusi" are not the 2nd person formal form of the imperative ... | |
| use of dispiacere | 10/8/2007 |
| Q: I am confused with use of the verb "dispiacere" I have seen "mi dispiace" translated into English ... A: First of all “Mi dispiace” is more commonly used to say "I am sorry", while “sono spiacente” is ... | |
| use of dispiacere | 10/7/2007 |
| Q: I am confused with use of the verb "dispiacere" I have seen "mi dispiace" translated into English ... A: actually “Mi dispiace” translated as “I am sorry” is correct because in this case “Mi dispiace” ... | |
| using "di" vs "da" | 10/4/2007 |
| Q: I am trying to understand the difference between using the prepositions "di" and "da" for "origin". ... A: generally speaking, the preposition "da" either simple (da) or contracted, i.e. joined with definite ... | |
| Greetings | 9/28/2007 |
| Q: How can I tell someone " I am glad to see you" , "Welcome Back" and "I am glad that we met"? A: here are the translations you need: 1-"Sono lieto di vederti", if the subject is a male person. ... | |
| Buon' giorno, buon giorno or buongiorno?? | 9/27/2007 |
| Q: I speak Italian resonably well, but I am unsure about this question, which is about the correct ... A: Both “Buongiorno” and “Buon giorno” are grammatically correct, while “Buon’ giorno” is wrong, as ... | |
| double negatives | 9/25/2007 |
| Q: Do you go for double negatives in Italian? To translate, “I haven't seen anyone”, would it be “Non ... A: To translate “I haven't seen anyone”, we say “Non ho visto nessuno” or “Non ho visto alcuno”, but ... | |
| confusing pronouciation(vowels) and dipthong problems | 9/22/2007 |
| Q: I have bought an Italian course and doing self-study. I am particularly interested in ... A: Here are my answers to your questions: 1-Unfortunately there are no definite rules that indicate ... | |
| "pagare sull’unghia or contanti sull’unghia " | 9/21/2007 |
| Q: I read the following with regard to the expression “cash on the nail”: Similar expressions have ... A: In Italian we say “pagare in contanti” for “to pay cash” and “pagare sull’unghia” for “to pay ... | |
| Translation | 9/17/2007 |
| Q: Can you help me translate this please? My trip to Rome was very scary. It was difficult to ... A: here’s the translation you asked me: “Il mio viaggio a Roma è stato molto avventuroso. E’ stato ... | |
| Giallo | 9/16/2007 |
| Q: First of all, welcome back! Hope you had a really great break. Please, why are the “giallo murder ... A: yes, I had a really great break! As for the term “giallo” we Italians use to indicate a murder ... | |
| Italian accents derived from greek | 9/14/2007 |
| Q: effect of greek accents on italian orthography, and pronunciation. A: Obviously we can speak about an effect produced by the Greek accents on Italian orthography and ... | |
| Oi Marie | 9/13/2007 |
| Q: I have fallen in love with the tune of "Oi Marie," but I cannot find the English translation ... A: You can see below my translation of the Neapolitan song lyrics “Maria Marì” by Russo (text) - Di ... | |
| Italian Phrase | 9/6/2007 |
| Q: I am planning a party and would like the invitation to be in Italian. How do you say/write: "An ... A: The literal translation of your sentence is as follows: “Invito la mia famiglia ed i miei cari ... | |
| “Una tira l’altra” | 8/3/2007 |
| Q: I recently saw an Italian advert. On the top it listed “La Guida Michelin”, “La Guida verde” and “Le ... A: The Italian saying “Una tira l’altra” originally related to the cherries literally means :“one ... | |
| Bella Bionda lyrics | 8/2/2007 |
| Q: Maria, you helped me in the past and I hope you will kindly do so now. I am writing from Japan, with ... A: You are right. The singer of the old folk song, "Bionda, bella bionda", is indeed a girl named ... | |
| Ossobuco | 8/1/2007 |
| Q: I was wondering about ossobuco: have I spelt it right? It literally means “bone hole”, doesn't it? ... A: The ‘ossobuco’, i.e. the veal shank, is the upper part of the front leg and hind leg of a veal. In ... | |
| Ossobuco | 7/31/2007 |
| Q: I was wondering about ossobuco: have I spelt it right? It literally means “bone hole”, doesn't it? ... A: You are right: it is “ossobuco” in Italian, though it can be spelt also as “osso buco”, since it is ... | |
| italian spelling | 7/30/2007 |
| Q: how do you say the following names in italian: Aaron Sarah A: FOLLOW UP With regard to Aron, which exists in Italian, though it is not so common, I must specify ... | |
| carlo buti song lyrics | 7/29/2007 |
| Q: I hope you can help me find the lyrics to a recording of a Carlo Buti song I used to listen to as a ... A: Glad to help you. So here is the lyrics of “Rondinella Forestiera “ of a Carlo Buti song you used to ... | |
| what does it mean? | 7/25/2007 |
| Q: honesto o'cio post labores A: actually the phrase you mention, i.e. “honesto ocio post labores” is not Italian, but Latin, and ... | |
| say thank you in italian at our wedding | 7/24/2007 |
| Q: Please could you tell me how to say the following in italian for my wedding: Thank you Sofia, ... A: see below the translation you need. Greetings from Italy, Maria ______________________________ Un ... | |
| 25th anniversary | 7/23/2007 |
| Q: how do i say "my whole life" in italian? A: "my whole life" is in Italian "Tutta la mia vita". Best wishes, Maria ________________________ Note ... | |
| i want to learn italian language | 7/21/2007 |
| Q: A: if you want to say "How are you?" in Italian, you must say: -"Come stai?", which is the phrase used ... | |
| Solfa | 7/19/2007 |
| Q: Please could you translate the following into (fairly formal) Italian for me? I believe it’s the ... A: here’s the translation of the medieval Latin lines “UT queant laxis/ REsonare fibris /MIra gestorum ... | |
| Italian translation | 7/14/2007 |
| Q: My family is from Foggia, Italy. There is a word we have used for generations in my family, to mean ... A: Ciao Nicole, I think that the word you are looking for is DAVVERO which in Italian is an adverb we ... | |
| Zante | 7/13/2007 |
| Q: Many thanks for the recent superb help. I've become intrigued by the name Zante, which seems (I may ... A: in Italian we use the name Zànte as well as Zacìnto for the Greek island of Zákynthos, where Ugo ... | |
| Expressions | 7/12/2007 |
| Q: Please, what are the exact meanings of 'noi tireremo dritto' and 'me ne frego'? I believe they were ... A: First of all you are right: ‘logic never was fascism’s strong point!’, as history has amply shown. ... | |
| Translation Inquiry | 7/11/2007 |
| Q: I was wondering if you could translate the phrase "Always Learning" for me? Thank you for your help! ... A: "Always Learning" can be translated into Italian as follows: - “Sempre imparando” Or with a ... | |
| looks | 7/9/2007 |
| Q: how do you say you still look beautiful in italian A: “you still look beautiful” would be in Italian as follows: -“Sei ancora bella”, if the adjective ... | |
| question | 7/8/2007 |
| Q: how do you say "I speak Italian... I thought you knew (that)" A: In Italian we can say: -”Parlo Italiano...Pensavo che tu lo conoscessi”, if you are addressing to ... | |
| Samuele Bersani - Spaccacuore | 7/7/2007 |
| Q: Ciao Maria! My name is Petra. I'm a studend and I study German and English. Last year I visited ... A: Ciao Petra! Although this lyrics is quite long, here’s the translation you asked me. Best regards ... | |
| Two sentences | 7/5/2007 |
| Q: I wish to write to someone in Italian; please could you help me with two sentences? 1 I hope I am ... A: Here’s the correct Italian sentences: “Ho trovato il suo indirizzo e-mail sul sito www. ….e vorrei ... | |
| Wedding Congratulations | 7/3/2007 |
| Q: My niece in Italy is getting married and I was invited to her wedding. I will not be able to attend ... A: You could write as follows: “Carissimi, Vi ringrazio moltissimo per avermi invitato al vostro ... | |
| Italian pronunciation of Galilei | 7/2/2007 |
| Q: My son is cast as Galileo Galilei in a production of the Brecht play and I have been searching for ... A: Here’s the correct pronunciation of the surname GALILEI : G is pronounced like the G in ‘game’ A ... | |
| How to say how old you are | 6/29/2007 |
| Q: If I remember rightly, to say how old you are in Italian is fairly straightforward: ho 53 anni. But ... A: You remember rightly. We use to say “Ho 53 anni” (Ho cinquantatré anni), not “Ho 53 anni di età” ... | |
| HELP!!! | 6/26/2007 |
| Q: I received a letter from a wonderful girl and she wrote "Amo il sole per i giorni, la luna per le ... A: First of all the correct Italian phrase is :"Amo il sole per i giorni, la luna per le notti, e TE ... | |
| " In Love" | 6/23/2007 |
| Q: how would i say "In Love" ? thanks for your help! A: For “In love” as in “Man in love” we say “innamorato” (adjective in the masculine singular), while ... | |
| Italian Translation | 6/21/2007 |
| Q: Could please confirm that the phrase "cento di questi giorni" translates to, "May you live a hundred ... A: Yes, I confirm that "cento di questi giorni" corresponds to: "May you live a hundred years” as this ... | |
| Pronunciation | 6/19/2007 |
| Q: My last name is of Calabrian origin. I am wondering about the Italian pronunciation of it. It is ... A: here’s the Italian pronunciation of your last name: F like the F in ‘from’. A like the A in ... | |
| hola maria como estas | 6/14/2007 |
| Q: hablo espanol and i know a little bit of italian so i wanna know the differences how do i say "do ... A: The phrase "Do you really speak Italian or are you just saying that to impress us?" translates into ... | |
| Boragine vs Voragine | 6/12/2007 |
| Q: Boragine is a surname in Italy, but I am not sure what it means or where it comes from. The only ... A: first of all the surname 'Boragine' is not so frequent in Italy as well as its alternate form ... | |
| Italian Song | 6/10/2007 |
| Q: Looking for words to old Italian children's song, I think about a cat? Something like Muglie la ... A: I'm sorry, but there was a typo in "Gatte gattille" which must be written as "Iatte iattille". ... | |
| Help! | 6/7/2007 |
| Q: I was wondering if you could help me? i am going on holiday to italy soon and i was wondering if you ... A: Here’s the Italian phrase you can show in a restaurant to inform the waiter that you have some food ... | |
| Aria | 6/6/2007 |
| Q: Many thanks for the excellent help. I would like to ask a question or two about the following aria: ... A: Glad to have helped you. As for the questions about Zerlina's aria from Don Giovanni by Wolfgang ... | |
| Pronunciation | 6/5/2007 |
| Q: I know this be tricky to answer in a email format, but I am having the hardest time figuring out how ... A: the feminine adjective “bella” which has its stress on the E, i.e. it would be “bèlla”, if in ... | |
| Stress Change | 6/1/2007 |
| Q: With regard to Taranto, with its stress on the first syllable, making it a parola sdrucciola, since ... A: the Italian name Tàranto has its stress on the first syllable simply because it has maintained the ... | |
| italian translation help | 5/30/2007 |
| Q: i have a letter to translate fo my boss, from English to Italian, could you please help do it for ... A: First of all I am Maria, not Chris you probably wanted to send this e-mail to. Anyway, here’s the ... | |
| O Sole Mio II | 5/29/2007 |
| Q: Many thanks for the help with that. So “e” = “de” = “di”, perhaps? (In “jurnata 'e sole”, I mean.) ... A: you are right: “e” = “de” = “di”, in “jurnata 'e sole”. As for the Italian version, I’m giving you ... | |
| "O sole mio" | 5/28/2007 |
| Q: This is one of my favourite songs; I'd be ever so grateful if you could translate it into standard ... A: here’s the Italian version of the first stanza of the Neapolitan song 'O Sole Mio’ composed in 1898 ... | |
| grammar/translation | 5/26/2007 |
| Q: A small grammar point first. Could you tell me if the substitution of (for example) 'Dovevi farlo' ... A: Actually I answered this question on 05/25/07, i.e. yesterday. So I’m wondering why you are asking ... | |
| grammar/translation | 5/25/2007 |
| Q: A small grammar point first. Could you tell me if the substitution of (for example) 'Dovevi farlo' ... A: glad to hear from you. Well, the substitution of 'Dovevi farlo' for 'Avresti dovuto farlo' is ... | |
| Neapolitan (& Sicilian) words | 5/19/2007 |
| Q: Maria. I hope you do not mind a follow-up question about "Maria, Mari". I have tried to find the ... A: I’m glad to help you. So, in the Neapolitan song lyrics “Maria Marì” by Russo (text) - Di Capua ... | |
| culture | 5/18/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, With regard to “cultura”, is it mainly used figuratively in Italian now or is it ... A: The Italian word “cultura” is used only figuratively in Italian, while we used “coltura” to mean ... | |
| Actually a follow-up | 5/16/2007 |
| Q: Greetings, Many thanks for the help with purpose and result clauses, Maria. I hope you don't mind ... A: Greetings Simon, The first example [i.e. purpose clause /proposizione finale] is correct either in ... | |
| quick question | 5/15/2007 |
| Q: i just have 1 question how do you say Very Beautiful in Italian? is it UNTA BELLA? A: “Very beautiful” is “BELLISSIMO(masculine singular) / BELLISSIMA (feminine singular) / BELLISSIMI ... | |
| Purpose vs. Result | 5/14/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, How do you distinguish purpose clauses from result clauses in Italian (and also in ... A: in Italian we distinguish purpose clauses (proposizioni finali) from result clauses (proposizioni ... | |
| italian language | 5/12/2007 |
| Q: How would you say in italian 'a beautiful life', 'life is beautiful' and 'beautiful'??? Thanks so ... A: here are the translations you asked me: -'a beautiful life'= "una bella vita" or "una vita bella", ... | |
| Pronunciation | 5/7/2007 |
| Q: Maria, Where is the accent placed on the following names" Amerigo, Americo, Domenico. Thank you. A: in the Italian name “Amerigo” the accent stands on the I (Amerìgo), while in “Domenico” the accent ... | |
| Cato the Censor | 5/5/2007 |
| Q: Maria...I realize this is the Italian site, but there was no Latin site. I asked Chris, but he said ... A: Actually the Latin category is at: http://www.allexperts.com/browse.cgi?catLvl=3&catID=2145 Also at: ... | |
| voce | 5/4/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, Many thanks for the recent help. Please, what would be the best way to translate ... A: Greetings Simon, Glad to have helped you. So, the best way to translate the Italian word “voce” in ... | |
| C'è la luna a mezzu'u mare follow up to JoAnn | 5/2/2007 |
| Q: I too remember this song and its English title of Lazy Mary from my youth and Italian Grandmother. ... A: There is only one link I can suggest, besides the one I provided JoAnn. Here it is: ... | |
| vindico | 4/29/2007 |
| Q: I understand that VINDICO is from VIM DICO (I say strength), but how does it come to have its ... A: "VIM DICO" as etymology for the Latin verb VINDICO, which becomes 'vèndico' in Italian, means 'I ... | |
| iolasus: VOI ASPETTATE LA MAMMA? | 4/28/2007 |
| Q: "voi aspettate la mamma?" i got the translation for this in a book, "are you (pl.) waiting for mom?" ... A: You’re right: “Voi aspettate la mamma?” means exactly "Are you (pl.) waiting for mom?" and ‘LA’( ... | |
| inlaws | 4/27/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, Hope all is well. I have a question about vocabulary: Please, what is the ... A: Greetings Simon, Here are the Italian, Ancient Greek and Latin words for “father-in-law”, ... | |
| Congratulations | 4/23/2007 |
| Q: I'd like to congratulate my cousin and wife in Italian on the birth of thier son. What is the ... A: Here’s an appropriate phrase you can use to congratulate your cousin and wife on the birth of ... | |
| verbs changing conjugation | 4/20/2007 |
| Q: Are you able to give me any guidance on which Latin third conjugation verbs stayed in the third ... A: First of all the Italian verb “prèndere” belongs to the 2nd Italian conjugation as well as “cadère”, ... | |
| Domire Firenze | 4/18/2007 |
| Q: My Grandfather served in Itlay in the WWII and has really fond memories of a song he used to hear ... A: I think that the title of this Italian song is “Firenze sogna”(Florence is dreaming), also known as ... | |
| Welfare matters | 4/16/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, I take it that Italy has a welfare state as it’s in the EU. But what is the ... A: Greetings Simon, the Italian word for “dole” (the money you receive for a year or so after losing ... | |
| More on the subjunctive | 4/14/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, Just to really cement my understanding of the subjunctive, I've found a very ... A: in the phrase “Puellas detestor quae in foro cunctantur” (Italian, “Detesto le fanciulle che stanno ... | |
| Citizens | 4/12/2007 |
| Q: What are the nouns denoting a native of the following Italian cities, please? (E.g. a native of Rome ... A: the adjectives/nouns denoting a native of Rome, Florence, Turin, Milan, Syracuse, Palermo, Trieste, ... | |
| old italian song | 4/4/2007 |
| Q: I am searching for a song my great-great -great gramdmother used to sing to my father as a young ... A: FOLLOW UP Dear Erica, perhaps I found out the song you refer to. It could be the hymn the catholic ... | |
| old italian song | 4/3/2007 |
| Q: I am searching for a song my great-great -great gramdmother used to sing to my father as a young ... A: I'm sorry, but you should tell me at least some words of this song so that I can find out the title ... | |
| Pronunciation question | 4/2/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, can you please advise as to the correct pronunciation for the name 'Bertoli'. I am ... A: here’s the correct pronunciation of the Italian surname Bertoli. B is pronounced like in English. ... | |
| Ribes nigrum | 4/1/2007 |
| Q: Ribes nigrum, as far as I can determine, means “black currant”. So what does “ribes” mean exactly, ... A: “ribes” is not a Latin word and then cannot have a genitive, while we can use the genitive of ... | |
| Famous song | 3/28/2007 |
| Q: There is a song that has the words sono italiano which I know what they mean but am searching for ... A: yes, I can help you. The proper title of the song you are looking for is “L’Italiano” (1983) by ... | |
| Lyrics to Italian song | 3/26/2007 |
| Q: I would love to have the lyrics to "Luna Luna Mezza Mare" in the Italian language. MY Grandmother ... A: First of all I must point out that the song you mention is not in Italian, but in Sicilian dialect, ... | |
| Basic Italian Grammar | 3/24/2007 |
| Q: I am going to Italy and Greece with a group from school in about 2 weeks and I'm nervous because we ... A: Actually to teach you how to conjugate the Italian verbs, how to use the pronouns, how to construct ... | |
| TRANSLATION | 3/23/2007 |
| Q: How do you say "please join us for lunch" in italian? A: In Italian we can say: -”Unisciti a noi per il pranzo!” -“Raggiungici per il pranzo!” -“Pranza ... | |
| Stress again | 3/20/2007 |
| Q: Many thanks for the recent help. Please, where is the Italian stress on Olimpia, Micono, Micene, ... A: the Italian stress on Olimpia, Micono, Micene, Salonicco, Corinto, Peloponneso is as follows: ... | |
| Amazing Placenames | 3/18/2007 |
| Q: Many thanks for the recent help. I love your Italian names for places in Greece and formerly Greek ... A: To tell the truth, in Italian the name “Monte Matto” indicates only a mountain near the town of ... | |
| subjunctive in Italian and Latin | 3/16/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, Many thanks for the recent help. I’m still not too sure about all the uses of the ... A: First of all here’s the Italian translation of Cicero’s passage in 'De Legibus', III, 5 “qui ... | |
| expressions | 3/14/2007 |
| Q: I have heard that in Italy there is a show called QUELLI CHE IL...CALCIO. what does the expression ... A: the literal translation of “Quelli che....il calcio” is : “Those who.....the football”, i.e. ... | |
| MORE ON STRESS | 3/13/2007 |
| Q: Ah, I seem to have misunderstood. Is it simply that “forte accentazione” refers to an accented ... A: Yes, the expression “forte accentazione”, used by Giacomo Devoto, refers to an accented syllable and ... | |
| MORE ON STRESS | 3/12/2007 |
| Q: Well, I really feel I have a better understanding after your last answer, many thanks again. Just to ... A: Greetings Simon, ‘Casa’ is not an example of “scarsa accentazione”. In CASA in fact both the first ... | |
| abantiare | 3/11/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, I've become very interested in the late Latin (early Italian?) verb abantiare. ... A: First of all the demarcation line between the late Latin and early Italian is very tenuous as it ... | |
| Italian sentence | 3/9/2007 |
| Q: I wondering how to say,"Remember where you come (or came) from". In Italian. Thank you A: Here’s the translation you asked me. -"Remember where you come from" ="Ricordati da dove vieni" ... | |
| translating from English to Italian for me | 3/8/2007 |
| Q: My husband is in Milan for a week and I would like to e mail him in Italian. Can you tell me how to ... A: here's the translation you asked me: "Ciao, Amore Mio! Sento molto la tua mancanza e conto i giorni ... | |
| Italian spellings | 3/5/2007 |
| Q: I was wondering if you could tell me the exact spelling of the Italian names Lucy and Connie? I ... A: Actually the Italian name for Lucy is ‘Lucia’, whose diminutive / sweet form is ‘Lucietta’ ... | |
| Miserere | 2/28/2007 |
| Q: Am I right in thinking that “Miserere mei/nostri”, sometimes “Miserere di me/di noi” in Italian ... A: You are right: “Miserere mei/nostri”, sometimes “Miserere di me/di noi”, means “Have mercy on ... | |
| verb tenses | 2/24/2007 |
| Q: could you please edit my grammar of my composition. thanks Daniel La television era da anni il ... A: I’ve edited your text, as you can see. Please note that in Italian we say ‘Internet’ without the ... | |
| Final “ia” | 2/23/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, and many thanks for the recent help. I’m trying to work out some kind of a rule, ... A: First of all, in the Latin term “cubìlia” the stress stands on the first I which is the ... | |
| Staccato | 2/22/2007 |
| Q: I’m having trouble understanding the following sentence. Would you mind translating it for me, or at ... A: the past participle STACCATI (from STACCARE) followed by the contracted preposition DAL means ... | |
| Baby name | 2/20/2007 |
| Q: I'm not sure if you will even respond to this question, but I am due to have a baby girl in June and ... A: first of all my congratulations on the next birth of your baby girl. As for the Italian names, ... | |
| pronunciation | 2/13/2007 |
| Q: How would you pronounce the Italian last name Quaglino? A: here’s the pronunciation of the Italian surname QUAGLINO: -QU must be pronounced like QU in ... | |
| Improve Language | 2/12/2007 |
| Q: I need to know one more site which could have fiabe italiane or stranieri. I know when I do search ... A: Italo Calvino's"Italian folktales"(Fiabe Italiane), a collection of 200 Italian folktales published ... | |
| ultrà | 2/6/2007 |
| Q: I was shocked to hear about the tragic death of the policeman at the hands of football rioters. ... A: I too was shocked to hear about this tragic death which has nothing to do with sportsmanship, i.e. ... | |
| Relatives pronouns with the subjunctive | 2/4/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, I was wanting to look at the translation of a sentence like “I'm looking for a ... A: The phrase “I'm looking for a woman who has red hair” must be translated as follows: -“Sto cercando ... | |
| CAVATINA | 2/2/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, I'm interested in the term CAVATINA. What is its origin, please? How did it come ... A: Greetings Simon, The term CAVATINA (feminine noun) is a diminutive of CAVATA which derives from the ... | |
| Calzoni | 1/31/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, Which word for trousers is more common in Italian, please? Calzoni or pantaloni? ... A: Both ‘calzoni’ and ‘pantaloni’ are in common use, though ‘pantaloni’ is perhaps more common. As ... | |
| Translation please | 1/30/2007 |
| Q: Could you please translate the song "Non Ti Scordar De Me". I have the Italian lyrics here, but I ... A: here’s the translation of Ernesto De Curtis song, written in 1935 for a movie of the same title, ... | |
| actions affecting the body | 1/26/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, and many thanks for the recent help. How do I say, “She combed my hair” in ... A: Both “Lei mi ha pettinato i capelli” and “Lei ha pettinato i miei capelli” are grammatically ... | |
| Pronunciation question | 1/25/2007 |
| Q: How would Calabria be pronounced? I've been told Ca-lAH-breea and Ca-lay-breea. I was wondering ... A: I prefer to indicate the correct Italian pronunciation of the region name Calabria as follows: -C ... | |
| Strait of Bonifacio | 1/23/2007 |
| Q: Am I right in thinking that the usual word for “straits” is “lo stretto”? So why is the Strait of ... A: You are right: the usual word for “strait” is “lo stretto”. Anyway the Strait of Bonifacio is ... | |
| translation | 1/21/2007 |
| Q: I'd like to email some hotels in Sicily about their facilities for the disabled – in particular ... A: here’s the e-mail you could send. Salve! Desidererei sapere se nel vostro albergo vi sono ... | |
| Caponata | 1/4/2007 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, Caponata (the dish) came up in a quiz recently. Please, what is the origin of this ... A: Greetings Simon, The Italian word ‘caponata’, of Sicilian dialectal origin, seems to derive from ... | |
| tu e' voi | 12/19/2006 |
| Q: I understand that tu, ti, te are familiar singular and voi, vi, ve are familiar plural. Sometimes I ... A: if you have read or heard the plural form VOI, VI, VE used when talking to one person, it is because ... | |
| carducci essay | 12/7/2006 |
| Q: Can you please edit the grammar of a paper I am writing on the concetto di patria nella poesia di ... A: here's the correct Italian text. Best, Maria Di Carducci si devono ricordare alcuni fatti ... | |
| north and south | 12/6/2006 |
| Q: While digesting your excellent answers I realised I wasn't completely sure where Northern Italy ends ... A: Generally speaking, Northern Italy ends on the Emilia-Romagna/Toscana border, where Central Italy ... | |
| carducci | 12/5/2006 |
| Q: Carducci was the greatest poet of the last half of the nineteenth century, the voice and conscience ... A: here’s the correct Italian text. Please compare it with your translation so that you can realize how ... | |
| aggio | 12/4/2006 |
| Q: I find the following entry (Giacomo Devoto – Avviamento alla etimologia italiana): aggio: forse da ... A: The phrase “con la correzione della pronuncia ritenuta a torto settentr.”(i.e. settentrionale) means ... | |
| middle east translation | 12/3/2006 |
| Q: "hi could you please edit my grammar in my italian translation from english to italian? thank you in ... A: here’s the correct Italian text. Please compare it with your translation so that you can realize how ... | |
| Hospital of St. Lazarus | 11/22/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, and many thanks for the recent help. Please, what is the Italian for the "Hospital ... A: the Italian for the "Hospital of St. Lazarus" is “Ospedale di San Lazzaro”. Such a hospital did not ... | |
| edit grammar in small essay | 11/19/2006 |
| Q: could you please edit my small essay on friendship? thanks grace Un' amicizia che si esaurisce e' ... A: I’ve modified your text so as to make it correct in grammar, orthography and style (see below). ... | |
| Gadus morhua cognate with merluzzo? | 11/15/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, I've been trying to track down the origin of "gadus morhua" (cod) with no luck at ... A: "gadus morhua" or “"gadus morrhua", which is the scientific name coined by Linnaeus in his “Systema ... | |
| "E' conforme al vostro merto". | 11/13/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, "E' conforme al vostro merto" appears in "Don Giovanni". Now, I understand that ... A: The word "merto" instead of “merito” is not an accepted alternative in the Italian language, but ... | |
| Please help! | 11/10/2006 |
| Q: I'm geting married and i wish to engrave something on the inside of my husbands ring in italian. ... A: The best translation of your phrase “My whole heart for my whole life “ is in Italian as follows: ... | |
| L'incosciente | 11/3/2006 |
| Q: I'm hoping you will be so kind as to answer my question! I'm reading a book of short stories titled ... A: the Italian adjective “cosciente” can mean: -aware of things (E.g. “Ero cosciente della gravità ... | |
| pronunciation of z | 10/28/2006 |
| Q: Many thanks for the recent help. I notice that Z has two pronunciation: like TS in zio and like DZ ... A: The Italian letter Z must be pronounced always like DZ or TZ, not TS, which is a vernacular variant ... | |
| sintassi e grammatica | 10/27/2006 |
| Q: ciao sono un canadese che sta imparando la lingua italiana. devo scrivere un componimento ed vorrei ... A: Salve Balint! Innanzitutto ho dovuto fare alcune correzioni di cui ti renderai conto confrontando il ... | |
| Maremma | 10/25/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, I've become interested in the Maremma, the swampy area in Southern Tuscany which ... A: Greetings Simon, the name “Maremma” derives from classical Latin “maritima”( neuter noun in the ... | |
| Italian Language | 10/16/2006 |
| Q: I am interested in learning Italian(language). I have taken Spanish, French, and even Latin. But, ... A: I really appreciate your interest in learning Italian which maybe will not seem too difficult since ... | |
| eng to italian | 10/15/2006 |
| Q: I need to translate this from english to italian. Could you please correct this translation? ... A: here’s the correct Italian text. Best regards, Maria ___________________ “In Egitto, più che in ... | |
| iscritto alla potente Arte della Lana | 10/12/2006 |
| Q: Many thanks for the recent help. I'm stuck on part of the following sentence: Giotto Di Bondone ... A: “iscritto alla potente Arte della Lana” means exactly “inscribed to the powerful Wool Guild”. The ... | |
| I could have done versus I was able to do | 10/10/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, and many thanks for the recent help. Please, how do you say “I could have gone ... A: Greetings Simon, here are the answers you need. ITALIAN: -“Avrei potuto andare” = “I could have ... | |
| Various | 10/7/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, Hope all is well. Please, what is the best way to say “The 12 Labours of ... A: Greetings Simon, Here’s the translation of “The 12 Labours of Hercules” into Italian, Latin and ... | |
| love | 10/5/2006 |
| Q: i love you? you are my sweet heart . and i cant live with out you A: here are the translations you asked me: -"Ti amo" (I love you) -"Tu sei il mio innamorato"(you ... | |
| Phrases to use with a girlfriend | 10/2/2006 |
| Q: My girlfriend is Italian and I'm starting to learn the language. I'd like to know some everyday ... A: here are some phrases you can use with your Italian girlfriend: -“Ti penso sempre “ or “ Sto ... | |
| more about the origine of the Marengo name | 9/30/2006 |
| Q: Ther are many cities and towns as well as street andboulevards in the usa called Marengo. Do you ... A: I think that many cities and towns as well as street and boulevards in the USA are called Marengo ... | |
| meaning | 9/18/2006 |
| Q: i came across this phrase and would like to know the correcct spelling and translation tu vollio ... A: The correct Italian phrase is :“Ti voglio bene assai”, which means :“I love you very much”. ... | |
| Friuli-Venezia Giulia | 9/16/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, I am most surprised that Northern Italy's easternmost regione is called ... A: Until the end of World War II in 1945, there were three regions in north-eastern Italy : la Venezia ... | |
| Ghepeù | 9/14/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria and many thanks for the recent help. In a Don Camillo story, Peppone angrily tells ... A: Greetings Simon, Don Camillo tells Peppone "The Ghepeù is your affair" because the Ghepeù, i.e. ... | |
| bassa padana | 9/9/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, "bassa padana" is used of the location of the Guareschi "Mondo Piccolo" stories. ... A: Greetings Simon, The expression “Bassa padana” we read in Giovanni Guareschi’s Mondo Piccolo is a ... | |
| -cello | 9/7/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, Hope all is well. I understand that "violoncello" is the diminutive of "violone" ... A: Salve Simon! All is well, thanks. As for your questions, here are my answers. 1-you are right: ... | |
| wedding toast | 9/6/2006 |
| Q: How do you say "100 years of health and happiness"? Grazie. A: "100 years of health and happiness” is in Italian : “Cento anni di salute e felicità !” In fact, ... | |
| How do u say... | 9/5/2006 |
| Q: CIAO Maria im just fascinated with the italian language and i REALLY wanna learn it well just 1 ... A: "Beautiful Disaster" is in Italian “Bel disastro!” As for “Arrivederci” , it means “Goodbye” or ... | |
| Use of passive Infinitive in Italian | 9/2/2006 |
| Q: I would be grateful for some help with what I believe is a passive infinative construction. To take ... A: Actually in Italian the passive infinitive is used quite often and is formed by the infinitive ... | |
| verb | 8/28/2006 |
| Q: If I want to say, "when we meet", do I have to use "ci" in front of the verb? For instance, ... A: yes, you are right. The English phrase “When we meet” is in Italian “Quando noi ci incontriamo” or ... | |
| past tense | 8/26/2006 |
| Q: My first comment is about your response to recent query on the past tense. There are actually two ... A: FOLLOW UP: See below, please, where you can read my reply to the question you wrote when you rated ... | |
| Sardu | 8/17/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, and many thanks for the recent help. Please, where is the stress in the name for ... A: Greetings Simon, The stress in “ Sardu” , the name for the Sardinian language, is on the ‘a’ ... | |
| stress again | 8/16/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, Please, where is the stress in the names "Savonarola" and "de' Medici"? I trust I ... A: In the surname of the Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola the stress is on the second O, i.e. ... | |
| Municipality | 8/10/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, Many thanks for the helpful explanation and the correction of your previous ... A: Greetings Simon, In Italian it is not ‘municipalità’, but ‘Comune’. In this case we say “Comune di ... | |
| Marengo | 8/4/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, and many thanks for the recent help. Is Marengo (of battle fame) a village near ... A: Salve Simon, Marengo, today named also Spinetta Marengo, is a suburb ('frazione' in Italian) of ... | |
| Italian to English Translation | 8/2/2006 |
| Q: I've been reading-up on a site: www.scaruffi.com. I've been reading of of this man's reviews for a ... A: here’s the translation of the review you have read on http://www.scaruffi.com/director/leone.html ... | |
| italian surnames | 7/29/2006 |
| Q: why do italian last names always end in vowels A: Actually not all last names end in vowel.There are in fact many surnames that end in a consonant, ... | |
| Marriage Proposal | 7/28/2006 |
| Q: My partner comes from Rome, and I would like to ask her to marry me in italian. I believe the phrase ... A: In Italian you must say: ”Vuoi sposarmi?” meaning exactly “Will you marry me?” /“Do you want marry ... | |
| what does this mean in engilsh | 7/25/2006 |
| Q: il beccy ha un culo piacevole A: this is a Vulgar Italian Slang meaning :”Beccy has a nice bum (ass, arse)”. In fact ‘bum’ (ass, ... | |
| Maria in Italian | 7/13/2006 |
| Q: What is the spelling in italian for the name Maria and how do say it in italian? A: As for the Italian spelling of the name Maria, it is M-a-r-i-a, of course. Therefore I do not ... | |
| Auxiliary verbs essere & avere | 7/3/2006 |
| Q: Cara Maria, My mother tongue is Spanish & French, so I have a hell of a time when speaking Italian ... A: Cara Héloïne , Generally speaking, in Italian we use the auxiliary verbs “Essere “ and “Avere” ... | |
| HONESTO OCIO POST LABORES | 6/20/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, and many thanks for the recent help. I'm a bit confused by the above, as it seems ... A: First of all I want to tell you that your questions are always welcomed. As for HONESTO OCIO POST ... | |
| Song Lyrics | 6/13/2006 |
| Q: Could you please provide me with the lyrics for the Di Capua Song. "Ah marie" I understand this is ... A: The original Neapolitan song by Vincenzo Russo (1876-1904) and Eduardo Di Capua (1865-1917) was ... | |
| pet names in italian | 6/10/2006 |
| Q: i love to be unique, and i want to call my boyfriend something i know none of his ex girlfriends has ... A: Here are four pet names we can use in Italian: Fuffi, Pucci, Lilli, Fido. Anyway I think it’s ... | |
| Modena | 5/31/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria and many thanks for all the help. Please, in which syllable is the stress on the ... A: glad to help you. So, the stress on the place name "Modena” is on the first syllable “Mo” as this ... | |
| Cognomen origin and history | 5/27/2006 |
| Q: I have documents that indicate that our family lived in Civita D'Antino, in Abruzze, from at least ... A: Salve! Il cognome BOCCIA, che ha la sua area di origine e di maggiore diffusione in Campania ... | |
| Etymology of the Italian words for "marriage" | 5/27/2006 |
| Q: I have found 3 words for marriage in Italian. They are sposalizio, sposalizio, matrimonio. I would ... A: Actually there are four nouns for marriage in Italian, i.e.:sposalizio, sponsali, matrimonio, ... | |
| Translation please | 5/25/2006 |
| Q: I would like to get a tatoo with a Italian phrase, but I am unsure if this translates to female ... A: In Latin the saying is ”Qualis pater, talis filius", if ‘filius’ is a son, i.e. male gender. ... | |
| inchoative use of imperfect | 5/22/2006 |
| Q: Greetings! I believe that the imperfect is used inchoatively in Latin and Greek, e.g. dicebam can ... A: Actually in the strict sense the Latin imperfect is not used inchoatively, i.e. as a ‘verbal form ... | |
| Italian and Latin Translation | 5/14/2006 |
| Q: I have been trying to find this phrase in both languages for a long time. If you could help me out ... A: here are the translations you are looking for: Italian: “Vivere significa soffrire; sopravvivere ... | |
| latin translation | 5/9/2006 |
| Q: "Death is the answer. Let me show you the way." Could you translate this to latin? Thank you, ... A: Actually this is the category of Italian Language, not Latin and therefore I should not answer your ... | |
| Language | 5/8/2006 |
| Q: I have studied Italian in college a little and want to start studying again. I have little time and ... A: Here are some suggestions that can be helpful to you to learn Italian on your way to work.These CDs ... | |
| Italian Etymology | 4/22/2006 |
| Q: I am very interested in the origins of Italian words (french or latin) and was wondering if there ... A: I can suggest two Italian websites where you can type in an Italian word and get a full Italian ... | |
| Pontine | 4/8/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, and many thanks for all the help. I read that the dessert tiramisu gets its name ... A: Greetings Simon, the dessert called Tiramisù derives from “tirami su” where ‘tirami' is the ... | |
| the Italian word for a blood orange | 3/29/2006 |
| Q: Hope all is well with you and your daughter. Many thanks for the recent help. I understand that ... A: glad to have helped you. As for your first question, you're right: Sanguinello is a variety of ... | |
| Fearing | 3/27/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, Please could you translate two sentences into Italian and Latin for me: 1 I fear ... A: 1-"I fear that he will come". In Italian :”Temo che egli venga” In Latin :”Timeo ne veniat” 2-"I ... | |
| How to translate my title | 3/23/2006 |
| Q: I am a Human Resources Director at a blood center. How do you tranlate that? We use to be called ... A: In Italian we say “Responsabile delle Risorse Umane” or “Direttore del Settore Risorse Umane”. As ... | |
| Gli | 3/22/2006 |
| Q: Maria, I'm teaching students italian and I'm stumped between when and how you pronounce the 'gli' ... A: I know that a not native Italian speaker has difficulty in pronouncing correctly the Italian ... | |
| Sorrento | 3/4/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria Hope all is well with you and your daughter. Where is the Gulf of Sorrento/Golfo ... A: Salve Simon, I also hope all is well with you and your family. So, the Gulf of Sorrento ( ... | |
| translation | 3/2/2006 |
| Q: I'd be very grateful if you could translate the following communication about the Rome marathon for ... A: here's the translation you need. All the best, Maria Transaction effected at ATIELLE ROMA SRL ... | |
| ALL ABOUT PROVERBS | 2/13/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, and many thanks. I was just trying to figure out the following: conaris scandere ... A: “Conaris scandere caelum “ means exactly:” "you try to climb (up to) the sky” , as ‘conaris' is a ... | |
| ALL ABOUT PROVERBS | 2/10/2006 |
| Q: Hope all is well with you and your daughter. Is it okay if I ask you an open question? I feel I ... A: We are fine, thanks. As for your question, it's not easy to choose five of my favourite ... | |
| lexical item savoury | 2/8/2006 |
| Q: how would you explain the English word 'savoury' to Italian students as saporito seems to have a ... A: the English adjective “savoury” must be translated into Italian in different ways according to the ... | |
| lexical item savoury | 2/8/2006 |
| Q: how would you explain the English word 'savoury' to Italian students as saporito seems to have a ... A: the English adjective “savoury” must be translated into Italian in different ways according to the ... | |
| GRAFFITI | 1/9/2006 |
| Q: Greetings Maria, Hope all is well with you and your daughter. A Happy New Year to you both! My ... A: First of all a Happy New Year to you and your family. I'm fine, thanks, as well as my daughter who ... | |
| Stressed syllable | 1/5/2006 |
| Q: As a student of Italian, I find the placement of emphasis the most difficult aspect of the language. ... A: You are right: the dictionary does not help you at all in this case as it cannot tell you which ... | |
| "squassavano" | 11/26/2005 |
| Q: I read an italian book called "l'incredibile storia di Lavinia" I managed to translate all the words ... A: in the context you mention the Italian verb “squassare” means "to shake violently". Therefore in ... | |
| Speak Italian | 11/25/2005 |
| Q: Can you teach me how to speak Italian A: teaching at a distance how to speak Italian is absolutely impossible as well as teaching at a ... | |
| I need help translating this... Hi,my... | 10/24/2005 |
| Q: I need help translating this... Hi,my name is Stephanie. I am married to ________, which would now ... A: Here's the translation you need: Best regards, Maria Salve! Mi chiamo Stephanie. Sono sposata con ... | |
| Hello again Maria You may... | 9/17/2005 |
| Q: You may remember I asked you last week about the future conditional tense, and for a short ... A: ERRATA CORRIGE: auxiliary verb. Sorry. _________________________________________________ Hello ... | |
| usage/grammar + short translation | 9/10/2005 |
| Q: First, a question about grammar. (And apologies in advance if I'm revealing my lack of ... A: glad to help you. So, you are right when you say that Italians often use the expression “Dovevi ... | |
| translation of some expressions | 8/24/2005 |
| Q: I would like to know the translation of some words/expressions that are hard to find in the ... A: Here are the translations you asked me. 1.‘Marshmallow' as a confection of sweetened paste could be ... | |
| Italian Language & Etymology | 8/16/2005 |
| Q: My ceramic ashtray, a gift I received 20 years ago (from a former client) bears this inscription: ... A: First of all there is an error in this inscription as in Italian we say AVVOCATI, not ‘avocati'. As ... | |
| Lampedusa / Stromboli | 6/9/2005 |
| Q: Hope all is well with you and your family. I recently watched a film about Lampedusa called ... A: Glad to hear you are fine. Fortunately I can say the same for me and my family. As for your ... | |
| Can You possibly translate this for me? PLEASE!! | 6/4/2005 |
| Q: My Girlfriend loves this song we found by anew group called Il Divo and I've searched the web up and ... A: Here's the translation of “Passerà” written in 1994 by the Italian singer and songwriter Aleandro ... | |
| translation | 4/12/2005 |
| Q: My fiance and I are getting married in Tuscany in June and I would like to have a phrase engraved ... A: The phrase “I love you more (as in more than you love me) is in Italian: “Io ti amo di più”. Note ... | |
| non ci | 4/4/2005 |
| Q: I have run across the combination of "non ci" in many sentences that do not follow the explanation ... A: In the phrase :"Maria, tu non ci crederai a quello che è successo questo pomeriggio", the Italian ... | |
| Andreuccio da Perugia | 3/2/2005 |
| Q: would you be able to help me with the book andreuccio da perugia. I need help understanding what its ... A: I suppose you want me to explain in English this tale, as I think you have already read it in ... | |
| the mysterious "strette" | 2/28/2005 |
| Q: Ciao Maria: I am learning Italian, and a single song lyric is stumping me. It is the song "On An ... A: Salve John! First of all I must point out that the refrain of this popular song is written not in ... | |
| 'veni, vidi, vici' (I came, I saw, I conquered.) | 2/23/2005 |
| Q: I am trying to find out the pronouncation of this. My nephew pronounces it like ve-ni, vi-di, ... A: This sentence that C.Julius Caesar is said to have written to Roman Senate after he defeated at ... | |
| "del" or "di"? | 2/5/2005 |
| Q: Can you help me with the difference (even if subtle) between "del lago" and "di lago"? I am trying ... A: First of all I must tell you that “lake breeze” is “Brezza di lago” in Italian, while “Brezza del ... | |
| Michael Scot | 1/24/2005 |
| Q: Greetings again Maria, and many thanks. Just a thought - could we perhaps translate "dulce domum" ... A: "sweetly homeward" could be a free translation of "dulce domum". In fact you be in the right when ... | |
| RENAISSANCE | 12/20/2004 |
| Q: hope all is well, and seasonal greetings. I had assumed that "Il Rinascimento" was the term always ... A: All is well, thank you. As for your question, I must point out that: 1-the Italian term ... | |
| il calcio | 12/14/2004 |
| Q: When I do machine translations, the paragraph comes up with the following. Can the machine ... A: I'm sorry, but this machine translation is almost entirely wrong as you can see if you do machine ... | |
| La solitudine from Laura Pausini | 11/2/2004 |
| Q: This may be a very rude question, but I kind of hoped that you could maybe translate the lyrics of ... A: Actually your question is quite long, but anyway here's the translation you asked me. Best regads ... | |
| errors? | 9/14/2004 |
| Q: Could you please tell me if this letter is alright? It really need to sounds great! Thanks, Lilly ... A: here's the correct text of your letter which I have modified in some points as there were some ... | |
| language | 9/12/2004 |
| Q: Does gracios(gr oh see ose) in Italian mean Thank you. If it does then can you tell me how to say ... A: First of all “Does gracios” is not Italian at all. It is like the Spanish expression ‘Muchas ... | |
| Passato Remoto | 8/23/2004 |
| Q: Salve, I have been challenging myself by translating some higher reading passages into italian ... A: Salve Claudia, Here are the correct Italian phrases. 1-“Al mattino il suo defunto fratello Stan ... | |
| translation | 8/21/2004 |
| Q: I'd be most grateful if you could translate the following for me (using 'tu'). Many thanks. ... A: Glad to help you. So here is the translation you need. Greetings from Italy. Maria ... | |
| Abbreviations | 8/16/2004 |
| Q: I can't find what the Italian abbreviations are for the days of the week. The abbreviations for the ... A: here are the abbreviations we use in Italian for the days of the week: lun = lunedì (Monday) mar = ... | |
| translation | 8/6/2004 |
| Q: Ciao Maria, I need some help in translatting a sentence. "i hope you like it" If i say it like "io ... A: Salve Bugsy, “I hope you like it” is in Italian: “Spero che ti piaccia” , if ‘you ‘ refers to a ... | |
| translation | 8/6/2004 |
| Q: Ciao Maria, I need some help in translatting a sentence. "i hope you like it" If i say it like "io ... A: Salve Bugsy, “I hope you like it” is in Italian: “Spero che ti piaccia” , if ‘you ‘ refers to a ... | |
| Salve | 7/27/2004 |
| Q: I couldn't quite understand the meaning of these sentences and was hoping you could help me? Thank ... A: Salve Claudia, 1-“Credo di non averlo mai avvertito prima, vivendo con lui, se non in rare ... | |
| Allergy translation | 6/14/2004 |
| Q: I will be travelling to Tuscany in a week for my honeymoon and I have one problem...I am allergic to ... A: glad to help you. So, you could write on a small piece of paper the following phrase: “ Sono ... | |
| Salve | 5/29/2004 |
| Q: I am having trouble with correctly using the right tenses of verbs. I am hoping you could proofread ... A: Salve Claudia, Immagino tu capisca l'Italiano. Perciò questa volta lo userò per risponderti. ... | |
| Origins of the word"race" as in a water channel | 5/23/2004 |
| Q: I have an interest in the origins of the word "race" as used for a water channel or flume for ... A: Neither Old Italian nor Modern Italian have the word ‘racca' , while they have the term RAZZA ... | |
| Stressed syllables | 5/17/2004 |
| Q: Maria, how do I go about learning the correct stressed syllables of conjugated verbs? I know some, ... A: Actually this is a difficult matter for those who are not Italian native speakers. In fact, while ... | |
| Ciao | 5/9/2004 |
| Q: I am having trouble with correctly using the right tenses of verbs. I am hoping you could proofread ... A: I made several corrections and I've added many footnotes so that you can understand the reason why ... | |
| congiuntivo. | 3/10/2004 |
| Q: how do you use the congiuntivo? In this context, did I use it properly? Thanks. Lilly Oggi mi sono ... A: Actually you used properly the 'congiuntivo', except the passage where you say:”lui é l'unico uomo ... | |
| Italian translation | 3/5/2004 |
| Q: Below is an Italian paragraph that I was given to translate into English. I was hoping you could ... A: As an expert in Italian language, I can proofread an Italian text, not viceversa. Therefore I can ... | |
| grammatica | 3/4/2004 |
| Q: Ciao, sto preparando un curriculum and potresti dargli un'occhiatina (spelling/grammatica?) L'ho ... A: Salve Lori, Come hai certamente visto leggendo il mio profilo, io sono Italiana e vivo in Italia, ... | |
| Italian prepositions | 3/2/2004 |
| Q: Maria. My name is Carlie and I am an ESL teacher. I have a few Italian speaking students in my ... A: the functions of prepositions in Italian are not always similar to those in English, though in ... | |
| Original meaning of a word | 9/3/2003 |
| Q: I know that the Italian word "frottola" originally had a meaning which today has changed. Could you ... A: You are right. In fact, the noun "Frottola", plural "Frottole", originally meant "secular song", ... | |
| < | 8/5/2003 |
| Q: The Italian word "piccata," in the context of food -- i.e. "veal piccata." What does the word ... A: In a context of food, for example “veal piccata” (in Italian, “piccata di vitello”), i.e. a tender ... | |
| translation | 7/25/2003 |
| Q: Could you please translate the following into Italian?...Uncle Anthony and Aunt Madeline, you are ... A: glad to help you. So, here's the translation you need: "Caro zio Antonio(Anthony) e cara zia ... | |
| MICHELANGELO (NOT BUONARROTI) | 5/5/2003 |
| Q: MICHELANGELO (NOT BUONARROTI) Greetings Maria, Pls can you tell me the full name of the famous ... A: The full name of the famous artist you mention is Michelangelo Merisi, called IL CARAVAGGIO from ... | |
| stencil | 5/2/2003 |
| Q: Ciao Maria, mi potrebbe spiegare che tipo di attivita' e' "stencil", l'ho trovato solo in un ... A: Salve Tatiana, visto che mi hai scritto in Italiano, ti rispondo usando la stessa lingua. Dunque, ... | |
| I need this song to be translated | 4/8/2003 |
| Q: I need this song to be translated asap. It is very important. Ho camminato sola dietro il vento ... A: actually this question is too long, but anyway here's the translation you need. Bye Maria ... | |
| Incorrect contractions | 3/18/2003 |
| Q: Maria - Thanks for your prompt answer to my recent questions. I would like to ask one more, after ... A: No problem. You do not bother me with your questions. Well, here are the contractions which are ... | |
| Subject pronouns | 3/17/2003 |
| Q: You recently helped me with a question about agreement. May I ask you two more questions? Is "voi" ... A: Glad to help you again. Yes, the personal pronoun VOI is the plural of TU , differently from ... | |
| Agreement | 3/1/2003 |
| Q: I am studying Italian on my own with the help of books and tapes. So far, so good. However, I have ... A: You are right: in the past tense ( Italian, “passato prossimo”) there is usually the agreement ... | |
| translation | 2/22/2003 |
| Q: if you'd be so kind. Many thanks in anticipation Many, many thanks for the book. It's splendid – ... A: here's the translation you need. Best regards Maria “Mille grazie per il libro. E' perfetto ed è ... | |
| translation | 2/12/2003 |
| Q: I just need the following translated please. (The person I'm writing to is in his sixties, but I use ... A: Here's the translation you asked me: “La tua e-mail è stata per me una piacevole sorpresa. E' ... | |
| poster | 1/31/2003 |
| Q: I found this phrase on a vintage travel poster of a fox walking through the snow Sii Furbo! ... A: the phrase on this vintage travel poster I've seen means exactly: "Be clever! Take your vacations ... | |
| more on local government | 1/29/2003 |
| Q: Many thanks for the answer about Tivoli. That was really helpful. To return to local government if ... A: Glad to have helped you about Tivoli. As for your present questions, here are my answers: 1-IL ... | |
| Giotto pencils | 12/30/2002 |
| Q: A rather eccentric question, I fear. Please take it in the spirit of the season! Over 40 years ago, ... A: You are right : "Giotto pencils", or "Giotto drawing pencils", i.e. in Italian "Matite Giotto" ... | |
| SPAG BOL | 11/21/2002 |
| Q: Hope all is well. I was just wondering about SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE, now used in English too (along ... A: I'm fine, thanks! So, in Italy we never say SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE, which is wrong, obviously, as you ... | |
| Help with spelling/translation | 9/19/2002 |
| Q: Maria, I am an Italian-American who is compiling a cookbook of my family's recipes, most of which ... A: I'm glad to help you. So, here are the answers you need. 1st." What is the meaning of the word ... | |
| Translation: English-Italian | 9/11/2002 |
| Q: I was looking to get a few things translated to italian if it was possible. "If you love something ... A: I'm glad to help you. So, here's the translation you need: "Se ami qualcosa, lasciala andare: se ... | |
| English Italian translation | 9/7/2002 |
| Q: I'm going to meet my Italian friend in October. I was planning to meet his family but for bad luck I ... A: I'm glad to help you. So, here's the translation you asked me: _____ Gentili signori..., (here you ... | |
| translation | 9/4/2002 |
| Q: What does "Ma che cattso" translate to in English?Thank you Debra A: the Italian expression "Ma che cazzo(not cattso)!" belongs to coarse language and can be ... | |
| 1. PARTURIUNT ..... and 2. bathos in Modern Italian | 9/3/2002 |
| Q: PARTURIUNT MONTES; NASCETUR RIDICULUS MUS. Hi Maria! In this sentence, I'm a bit puzzled – why ... A: First of all, the Latin sentence "Parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus" (=The mountains are in ... | |
| Italian Verbs Avere and Essere | 8/22/2002 |
| Q: What determines which auxillary verb, (Essere or Avere),is to be used to form the past tense of ... A: The answer to your question is simple, i.e."Mangiare" uses "Avere" as auxiliary verb, since it is a ... | |
| sentence in Italian | 8/18/2002 |
| Q: Would like to say (spell) I AM ITALIAN AND PROUD OF IT in Italian. I know I know the name Pesenti, ... A: Glad to help you. Well, "I AM ITALIAN AND PROUD OF IT" is in Italian: "SONO ITALIANO E SONO FIERO ... | |
| The Rubicon | 8/16/2002 |
| Q: Well, I hope you are both well. My son, Ozzie has scraped into university by the skin of his teeth ... A: Glad to hear from you again and know your son has been accepted into university. As for the English ... | |
| grammar/translation | 8/3/2002 |
| Q: Maria. The first thing is about the past historic tense. I know generally when it should be used, ... A: Glad to help you. Well, first here's the translation you need: "Poche righe per ringraziare ancora ... | |
| rolling r's | 7/26/2002 |
| Q: My name is Chrissy and I am just starting to learn to speak Italian, the only problem is that I ... A: it's really not easy to answer your question because it would be better for me to explain you this ... | |
| as well as | 7/3/2002 |
| Q: and many thanks for your marvellous answer re. Tityre tu..... I was wondering about how to ... A: "as well as" means in Italian "così come", "ed anche" or "sia...sia". As for the word 'review' - ... | |
| Tityrus | 7/1/2002 |
| Q: when reading about the seventeenth century Tityre Tus, a bit like Teddy Boys in the nineteen ... A: First of all, this quotation is from Vergil's Eclogues, Eclogue I, line 1, where the shepherd ... | |
| Please could you check a short translation? | 6/28/2002 |
| Q: the following is pretty short, but very technical. I'd be ever so grateful if you could have a look ... A: Here's your translation with some corrections: "Il materiale pornografico o "a luci rosse" non è ... | |
| A Simple Translation | 6/26/2002 |
| Q: Maria, How would you as a native speaker translate the following: You have logged out. Thank you ... A: Here's the translation you asked me: "Siete usciti dal sistema. Grazie per aver usato ArtToday ... | |
| what do you think? | 6/25/2002 |
| Q: hope you are well. Best regards to your daughter. I've been wondering about how the Italian I've ... A: Here's your text with some corrections. "Il vostro ordine consentirà di inserire il vostro sito nei ... | |
Italian Language
Answers by Expert:
Maria
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Italian is my mother tongue and I'll be glad to answer any questions concerning Italian Language.
Experience
Over 25 years teaching experience.
Education/Credentials
I received my Ph.D. from Genova University (Italy).
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