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- "Non è né tè né caffè nero."
114 Comments
"Non bevo né tè né caffè" and "Bevo tè o caffè" have completely different meanings. At the first sentence, the person doesn't drink either one, and at the second, the person drinks both.
The thing is, in romantic languages (and I don't say this as an Italian but as a Portuguese speaker xD) there's no such thing as "double negatives" for all I can remember. If one uses the word non together with some negative conjuction or such the negative is only emphasised, as Procrastinans said. Thus, it's totally optional when you're gonna do a "double negative" or not. The meaning is not gonna realy change
523
So, in Italian it's correct to also say, "Bevo né tè né caffè," and it will mean the same as the sentence with non at the beginning (only not as strong)? I didn't realise the "non" was optional.
It may have to do with "né" meaning both "neither" and "either"(according to the mouse-over definition that Duolingo provides), which would change the meaning entirely. But I'm not sure. I find it rather confusing, myself. Perhaps the "non" makes the difference between saying "I drink either tea or black coffee" and "I drink neither tea nor black coffee." I think that without the 'non', you're open to drinking either one. Anyone with more expertise care to illuminate this point? When does "né" mean 'neither', and when does it mean 'either'?
If it is wrong, that misconception has been around a long time in English. With teachers even giving examples of this, perhaps to reinforce the correct way to say it. I agree that the correct way to state the positive is not by use of double negatives. http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/double_negative.htm http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/grammar/doubneg.html http://www.englishleap.com/common-mistakes/double-negatives
I have mistakes on a regular basis that I think are fairly attributed to the quality (or rather the lack thereof) of the artificial voice. It clips some of the shorter words so much they go by without being heard at the regular speed, and barely can tell at the slower.
Nota bene: not complaining too much for what is a spectacular FREE product that is doing an amazing job of teaching me italian.
I think that this is actually a feature of real speech (rather than the super-clear speech that language users are usually granted) not a bug of the programme: Words merge together in speech and little connecting words, which are unstressed and clear from context (to a native speaker) become almost inaudible (in fact).
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The accents mean stress that vowel, but honestly, although Duo keeps telling me I am not paying attention when I ignore the left-facing accents, the truth is that I have never seen OR used the left facing accent in Italian, only the right facing one. So I asked mio sposo who IS Italian, and also took proper Italian in University for 3 years, whether or not I should be worrying about that left facing accent. His verdict? No. It may have been used donkey's years ago, in very formal Italian, but it has fallen out of usage.
177
I could not make any sense as to what she was saying, even when speaking slowly. The only words i got were "ne caffe"
176
It did not count as correct "There is neither tea nor black coffee." Can someone explain why this is incorrect to me?
1119
I think that would be, "Non c'e ne te ne caffe nero." (Excuse lack of accents!) See sammydoodle comment further up.
59
My answer was "it is neither tea or black coffee. I'm English and have been for the last 40 odd years and my answer is how its said......
Duolingo make up your mind! Why is: It is neither tea nor black coffee". CORRECT? AND: SHE EATS NEITHER CHICKEN NOR FISH"= INCORRECT? IN ENGLISH IF I SAY "I eat NEITHER chicken NOR fish" is AS CORRECT as if I say: I don't eat NEITHER chicken NOR fish=DUOLING'S CHOISE, And on the next sentence DUOLINGO "switches ", and changes it's mind! IN BOTH INSTANCES THE SENTENCES ARE CORRECT! AND 'DON'' IS NOT NEEDED!!!! SINCE NEITHER AND NOR ARE very clear
a) Never ever heard an Italian speak as quickly as a New Yorker b) Spoke so fast I could not remember what he said c) Spoke so fast I could not even clearly hear the middle of the sentence d) What happened to La Dolce Vita? I took shorthand so I know how to remember sentences, this is just too darn fast!