"Loro sono uomini."

Translation: They are men.

[mrezzamoradi]

Why the plural of "uomo" is "uomini" not just "uomi"? Is it another rule which is not mentioned here or it's just an exception?

[davidvdb]

It comes from Latin! Homo in Latin means human, and the plural is homin-es. Long live Latin!

[33ate16]

It will live long. Along with Greek, it is both in science and our modern English today.

[Zoe145821]

wow you take a lot of languages

[Taylor327426]

Most languages have some kind of root in latin, especially european languages :)

[aiolos16]

Long live Black Sabbath

[MichelNabi1]

Its hailarious how the word "uomini" sounds like the word "wo-men" in english xD

[33ate16]

Not to me. It sounds like hominy.

[HungNgo10]

Not quite :D

[1700wdw]

I agree :)

[JacyClare]

It is an exception.

[jason.stro1]

That pronunciation was terrible.

[Schatzie14]

The n is not sounded on the audio. Pronunciation did nkt accept my audio without the "n" sound. With the "n" spoken in "uamini" it accepted it. Again, the same problem in French. Great Duo program but 0 reliable audio.

[ChiaraCeccaa]

The n is not unspoken, its just very soft. When you speak italian some letters might not be pronounced because if you are fluent you tend to go a little fast not spell them perfectly. But i swear to you that i have never prnounced uomini without an n on purpose

[ChiaraCeccaa]

True, its because its a recordes voice. Listen to the google one

[ChiaraCeccaa]

Recorded*

[KGBhe]

Couldn't "loro" also be the polite form for "you" (plural)? If so, Duolingo should pass this translation as correct...

[bluu.]

you're absolutely right, but I guess noone uses formal language just to say that someone is men ;) so from the context you can read that it has to be "they"

[mandeejane]

Sense and context fly out the window with 'they write in the sugar' imo

[KarlaDamas]

Io sono... Loro sono..?! The verb is right the same declination

[NancyWilder]

How can "Io sono" (I am) and "Loro sono" (They are) be the same conjugation?

[JohnMiller36]

The same way "You are" and "they are" and "we are" can.

[FernandoMo204958]

Excelent answer

[makiminami]

If you add a subject (but remove the pronoun) you may be able to find out what the pronoun is in translation, for example: "Sono uomini." Since "uomini" is plural for "uomo" (man) you can tell it's in the third-person plural form ("We are men" would be "Noi siamo uomini").

[NancyWilder]

"Uomini" isn't the subject, but rather the predicate of the above-mentioned sentence. Linguistically, "Io" (first person, singular) and "loro" (third person, plural) should not share the same form of the verb "to be" "sono."

[deactivated user]

Good fight

[daphne0301]

how do i know when to use sono and when to use siamo?

[beilum]

You need to conjugate the verb according to the subject:
http://italian.about.com/library/verb/blverb_essere.htm

[skymoonstars]

Extremely helpful, thanks :-).

[Ash.Purple]

I am = io sono ...... they are - loro sono ...... we are = noi siamo

[JoanAstorg]

From my perspective, you should use siamo when it comes after Noi and use sono when Loro. "Noi siamo" "Loro sono."

[bluu.]

Why not gli uomini??? I thought the article is obligatory

[chrisgiovent]

"Loro sono gli uomini" would mean "they are the men." Here, "uomini" is the predicate of the sentence (the sentence only indicates that they are men), following the copula "sono," so the article is optional, depending on whether or not the specification is intended.

[MaxMusterm138265]

Is there a specific reason why uomo turns into uomini but donna not into "donni" or so, but donne with an e?

[JoyetaMoju1]

Nice

[JoyetaMoju1]

Nice