38 Comments
Why italian people don't use defininite article before noun in that sentence "a tavola" for example "alla tavola" or "al tavolo". In this case we are talking about specific table.
It's idiomatic, like 'in cucina'. I don't think there's a reason, it's just one of those quirks of language.
475
I said, "We have too many places at table" - without "the" - and got it wrong again. I really think it should be accepted - it does make sense in English and IS used sometimes. I heard it yesterday in a BBC reading of Charlotte Bronte's "Shirley".
why isn't it "a tavolo" ? is there any difference in usage between tavola and tavolo ?
This link answers that question: http://blogs.transparent.com/italian/tavolo-or-tavola/
"Leggere il giornale a tavola è maleducato. Leggere il giornale al tavolo va bene." The Italians don't make it easy for us ;)
- 1044
my italian teacher told us that tavola is the family table and tavolo is just any table.
Agh, I can't stand when I make gammar typos and they count it as a mistake :c
Yes, but the upside is that Duo is forcing me to improve my typing. And my English spelling.
I did just get faulted for writing 'to' rather than 'too' when I could not have meant anything else. Not ideal to have Duo being a grammar pedant on my English as well.
I know...it's definitely the pits...but I mostly get angry at myself, not Duolingo...and I remind myself that I have to check for those stupid errors before I hit that submit button!♡
i think the word i hate most of all in the world is 'ling'. this unfortunately has had a knock on effect on my enjoyment of mulan.
- 807
"tavola" is a feminine noun
"al" = a+il ("il" is a masculine article)
you can say:
1) "al tavolo" (you cannot say "a tavolo")
2) "a tavola" (you cannot say "alla tavola")
- 106
In English, 'too much' is used for an uncountable amount, such as 'too much milk' or 'too much anger'. If you are talking about something of which there is a certain number, something you can count, you use 'too many', as in 'too many cars' or 'too many places at the table'. :)
Thanks,I know that difference but I looked on this in wrong way I was thinking about space on the table.
In general (not always) much is used in English with singular nouns and many is used with plural nouns.
My understanding is that tavolo is a piece of furniture, and tavola is a place the family gathers to eat together. It's kind of nuanced -- with tavolo being less personal than tavola. So far this understanding has served me well in maintaining my hearts, though I'm open to correction.
Correct!...but the one oddity is that when you are asking for or booking a dining table at a restaurant, they use tavolO!!
- 106
It happens sometimes when the entire extended family is gathering at my mom's house for dinner. We miscount how many cousins, nieces and nephews, etc. are coming and realize we have set too many or too few places at the table. :)
- 1573
Not sure why "at table" should be marked wrong? "At table" is an English expression pretty much directly equivalent to "a tavola", it's slightly old fashioned I guess, but definitely still used.
I left out 'the' and the program tells me I need it. I have been speaking English for nearly 60 years and know this is not true. So where does it come from?
It comes from being taught by an American whose English is not native. I spend my time learning Americanisms to avoid being marked down.
I think troppi = too many, which denotes excess. "Many" will just mean numerous.
I was marked wrong for "we have too many places at table." which is perfectly good English. I was marked wrong for leaving out the "the" which does not appear in the Italian sentence/
Once again "too many places at table " was not accepted by DL. I can't understand why this is so, since it means exactly the same thing as "too many places at the table".
