"Which shoes are yours?"
Translation:Quali scarpe sono le tue?
February 26, 2013
9 Comments
Why is it: "Quali scarpe sono le tue" and not "quale scarpe sono le tue"?
February 26, 2013
Quale has only two forms, i.e. it changes only with number and not with gender: quale for singular and quali for plural. In this case, shoes is plural, so it's "quali scarpe".
February 26, 2013
No. In general, it's a good norm to check the singular:
- If it ends in -a, the plural will probably be in -e and it will probably be feminine (cf Latin 1st declension)
- If it ends in -o, the plural will probably be in -i and it will probably be masculine (cf Latin 2nd declension)
- If it ends in -e, the plural will probably be in -i and it can have any gender (cf Latin 3rd declension)
There are exceptions of course, notably those derived from Latin's 4th and 5th declensions, but this is true for most names, be it nouns, adjectives, or pronouns. Quale, like the adjective verde and the noun arte, is in the third class; tanto, like most adjectives changing with gender, takes on the first or the second depending on it.
July 29, 2013
