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- Topic: Italian >
- "Se non cucino, non mangio."
49 Comments
2116
Maybe it is here to remind us that 'se' isn't always a pronoun. I quite like the way Duolingo tries to catch us out occasionally! Otherwise I find I get into too much of a pattern in my responses. I think they're trying to keep us on our toes.
- 1055
That's nice to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I'm with jdf90 down there at -1 votes: the algorithm that chooses sentences looks for words, not what they mean. I've seen this in the French and Spanish trees, too. Not that it isn't beneficial, as you say.
I know I definitely get into a pattern, this did catch me off guard XD
You are thinking of 'si' as a pronoun can change to 'se' in certain circumstances. This word 'se' is acting as a conjunction that means 'if'.
That's why I read xyphax. Some people read Hugo, Voltaire, and Steinbeck...I read xyphax, f.formica, mukkapazza, Viaggiatore, formaggiamente, etc. They are the best!... (too many to list or remember right now..if you are a serious student, you look for valuable information and the willingness and patience of Job"!!♡♡♡
Ha! I didn't notice xyphax was a contributor here and tried to figure out your reference. I googled xyphax and found an "odd artist from the OFFBEAT label from Germany". Interesting. But I'd rather follow our xyphax if he/she is still around!
Same. I don't see anything that would make it fit into the clitics section...
- 519
I'm thinking either a very picky eater or someone with severe food allergies. I have a friend with coeliakia who gets sick from the smallest cross-contamination, she can't really trust people without experience in making 100% gluten-free meals.
Cook: If I do not cook, I do not eat.
Other guy: Ok but I am still cooking.
Cook: I guess I won't eat.
Other guy: ...Ok then.
1 WEEK LATER
Cook: WHY AM I SO SKINNY!?!?!
Other guy: chewing Because you didn't eat for a week.
Cook: Can I have a bite?
Duolingos method of making sentences is fundamentally broken, se is not a pronoun here so why does it come up in the section on pronouns?
- 2320
Probably because they want us to differentiate between the pronoun and the conjunction for ' se '. So we would be careful about it in the future.
That way, without the "se" (=if), you lose the cause / effect relationship between the two statements. You could rely on the tone of the voice to get that back, but it's wrong in general.
There are cases though, in which your attempt could succeed. For instance, when there are no verbs in the sentence.
E.g. "Niente cucina, niente pranzo".
This way, the listener / reader does not find a verb and is forced to being more "imaginative". But they are rare cases.
In italian "unless" translates "a meno che" + subjunctive, or "a meno di " + infinitive (impersonal mode)
Thus, the literal translation should be "A meno che [io] non cucini, non mangio".
Making it sound a bit more natural / fluent, it becomes "A meno di cucinare, non mangerò".
(Future sounds generally better with this construct)
So, to answer your question in a straight-forward manner, although the core meaning is almost the same, they are just two different sentences.
- 2608
The meaning is the same, and there is nothing wrong with your translation; but as the Italian sentence uses "se", the correct translation is "if". http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/9-7.html
I see. Thank you. When I hovered over 'se', one of the translations was 'unless'. That's why I used it. :/
- 621
This was one of the simplest sentences in this lesson. I wish they all could be as easy.
"se" is a conjunction. The pronoun "sé" is the reflexive tonic form. The regular reflexive form is "si". Scroll down here for the clitic pronouns: https://www.duolingo.com/skill/it/Clitic-Pronouns-1
I don't understand my answer was correct and it was mark as incorrect, and is not the first time
"If i don't cook, i don't eat" was flagged as an incorrect answer. Why?
