"Lo tenevo in braccio."
Translation:I was holding him in my arms.
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Please notice "in braccio" is correctly being translated as "in my arms" Another way could be "nelle mie braccia"
This is true but I want to point something out: "tenere in braccio" means to hold someone UP with your arms, as in when you lift someone up and hold them. What you do to babies when you pick them up. In fact "to pick up" someone (usually a small child or a small animal), you say "prendere in braccio".
To hold someone in your arms as in to hold them in an embrace, is different and would be "lo tenevo tra le mie braccia", or "nelle mie braccia". These two can be used instead of "in braccio", as you said, and they can mean the first thing I said too, depending on the context. Bear in mind however that "in braccio" can NOT be used to convey the meaning of holding someone in your arms to embrace them. "Tenere in braccio" only means that you're holding someome in your amrs after picking them up
Yes, "tenere" is "to hold". "to take" can be "prendere". "La prendeva per la mano quando facevamo del shopping." I (always) took her by the hand when we went shopping.
la braccio = arm and le braccia = arms. The male form relates to branch of arteries, rivers, "i bracci" from il braccio or a mechanical arm.
But when "take by the arm" is said why do Italians use the male form?
i wrote : I embraced him , which I think is as least as correct a translation as your version, cheers Rudolf
Not really, because "tenere in braccio" means to hold someone with your arms as in when you lift someone up and hold them. Like what you do to a babies when you pick them up. To hold someone in your arms as in "to embrace", is different and would be "lo tenevo tra le mie braccia", or "nelle mie braccia". "Tenere in braccio" only means that first thing, not "to embrace"
No
Lo = him
tenevo = I held / I was holding
in braccio = in arm *
* But 'tenere in braccio' ~ to hold in ones arms, - and, as it is 'tenevo in braccio', it becomes ~ I was holding in my arms.
Him, I held, in my arms ~
I was holding him in my arms.
As I understand it should be singular male form " il" braccio. (Plural female form " le braccia" ) Is this not correct? Is it really a combination "la" bracci "o"?
Starting a few days ago, in the "Type what you hear" sections, instead of showing the verbal phrases in Italian so that I can see where my errors are, they are simply translated. I therefore cannot KNOW the correct answer. For example, in this one, I typed L'ho tenevo in braccio. Obviously it's wrong. But it doesn't help me to show me the English translation. Is this a bug or am I supposed to know the correct answer before I learn it?
If you're using a browser, especially Chrome, check that you didn't enable "Always translate Italian"
I was told that it might be related to a bug that was recently fixed, so if that's the case it might go away soon.
The Chrome settings are explained here: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/173424
The Edge ones here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/use-microsoft-translator-in-microsoft-edge-browser-4ad1c6cb-01a4-4227-be9d-a81e127fcb0b
I figured out a workaround. When it gives me the translation but not the correct Italian, I just click on the Discuss button and the consequent page always shows the correct Italian.