"I do not have any on the table."
Translation:Non ne ho alcuno in tavola.
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1131
Could you explain further on the use of "ne" Susan? My question was more around the use of "a" and not "sul" but, I appreciate your native speaking opinion. Thank you!
1131
Carol, this lady is really good and provides a thorough explanation on "simple prepositions": https://www.google.com/search?q=learn+italian+for+travel%3A+simple+prepositions&rlz=1C1GCEV_enUS833US833&oq=learn+italian+for+travel%3A+simple+prepositions&aqs=chrome..69i57.19135j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8. She has loads of really good videos in English.
I'm very curious about this as well. (I screwed up and put "sul tavola" which is a gender mismatch.) I counted the number of hits for Google searches on various combinations of in/su tavolo/tavola:
"tavolo"=24,500,000
"tavola"=20,900,000
"sul tavolo"=1,850,000
"in tavola"=1,410,000
"su tavola"=843,000
"sulla tavola"=659,000
"nella tavola"=236,000
"nel tavolo"=128,000
"su tavolo"=94,400
"in tavolo"=63,800
The usage seems very idiosyncratic to me. Any native speakers care to comment?
Tavolo is any kind of table and 'on the table' would correctly be 'sul tavolo'. However DL has used 'tavola' which is the family table used for eating meals. 'Sulla tavola' is completely wrong
La cena è in tavola = Dinner is on the table.
Il pranzo è pronto tutti a tavola = Lunch is ready everyone to the table.
Tables in restaurants are called Tavolo. Vorrei prenotare un tavolo per due per favore. = Can I book ( reserve) a table for two please.
In negative sentences, alcun/alcuno/alcuna is always singular and equivalent to nessun/nessuno/nessuna; the effect is similar to how in English you don't have "any" apples, rather than "some" apples. In positive sentences, you can't use either, and instead you can use the plural alcuni/alcune, the partitive article (still with plural), or "qualche" with singular.
Not much, I think they are just a different way to say the same thing. By the way it is "sul tavolo" or "sulla tavola"
EDIT: I saw somewhere that "tavolo" is the piece of furniture and "tavola" usually refers to the table when it is prepared to eat or a chart. (among other things) Still, you want to "prenotare un tavolo" not "tavola".
1408
Both are correct but it is sulla tavola or in tavola for on the dinner table and sul tavolo for on the table(piece of furniture).
1408
I will try. Any in English can mean both some or whichever one but this is not always the case with other languages such as Italian. For any one, whichever one you use qualsiasi in Italian. Alcuna means some in a positive sentence but any(of something) in a negative sentence. It's the same concept in English. For example in English you would say "I have some but I don't have any . We don't say "I don't have some." So far for Nulla , we have seen it in a negative sentence and it meant anything . Non vedo nulla. I don't see anything. I hope this is useful.
56
puzzled! the 'any' sounds more plural to me than singular. How can I know which one it is. It couldn't be any apple (s) or any fork (s) help
477
Why in tavola if we need to specifically say on the table? Why sul tavolo doesn't work here?