"He talks on the telephone."

Translation: Lui parla al telefono.

[Koolkaren]

I guess that's how we'll have to think of it in Italian. Come to think of it, when we say,"I'm on the phone" in English, we're not actually sitting on top of the phone. That's probably a funny image to Italians learning English. :)

[Jackie.Bowers]

You're right. Sometimes I think up English phrases that are just as ludicrous.

[Jackie.Bowers]

sounds like he's talking AT the telephone

[anthony.maff94]

Or TO the telephone

[Elen-ka]

the dictionary hint translated on as sul

[Paolo_Guitar]

What's wrong with "Lui parla sul telefono"?

[nanotech18]

Why wouldn't "lui parla sulla telefono" work here?

[Koolkaren]

I suspect that it is simply that, in English, we talk 'on' the phone, in Italian they talk 'at' the phone. :)

[mangoHero1]

Plus, telefono is masculine whereas sulla is feminine (sul+la)

[Koolkaren]

Good point! :)

[XlUi8bZ7]

Thanks for that explanation.

[Joe393136]

Why is it parla instead of parlo

[Kalin697868]

Parlo refers to 1 singular, parla is for 3 singular when u conjugate the verb

[guinnyphere42]

Earlier i used per telefono when "she speaks on the telephone with her daughter" and it was correct. Why is this different?

[Ronald966424]

The english sentence says on the telephone sullo means on the phone not at the phone

[Ronald966424]

And should be lui parli meaning talks parla means talk i think this italian sentence is wrong