"Do you have children already?"
Translation:Avete già figli?
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1058
Italian use masculine form when they want to express plural of noun that can have mix (for example one son and one daughter ... would be "sons" literally but it is translated like children ... i figli)
What is irritating me here is that Duolingo rejected translation "Hai già... " as it was correct "Avete già ...". While italian has separate forms for the 2nd person singular and plurar, english language does not have it... how on earth I can now what author meant!? Both translation must be accepted...
I think you use the more formal 'you' = avete here because you don't know the person well if you don't know if they have children?
I think this should accept "Hai ragazzi già?" as well as "Hai figli già?" I've reported it.
I have a feeling an Italian would never use "ragazzi" when asking someone about their children.
I put " Hai già bambini?" and they say that is correct but I want to know is it really correct.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure bambini or figli would both be correct, but in slightly different ways.
Well "ragazzo" means "boy", but "figli" means "son" and would make more sense in this context.
A native Italian explained to me in another discussion that bambini are little children, ragazzi are basically teenagers. Of course they went on to explain there are many nuances, and other words yet for subtleties of the transitionary period between bambini and ragazzi, also, as is common in Italian, the exact age varies from place to place. Lastly, my understanding is figli is sons / children. I have had to learn to use the word son and not boy or else to lose a heart, because in my native English it is common for me to ask you 'How is your boy?' ... explicitly meaning how is your son. It is just the way we often say it here, perhaps it is an idiom in English, but it is a heart-stopper for me. :-)
It's about the formal-informal you. Normally, (informally), it would be "hai", but formally, it's "ha".
I'm confused by that as well. Is "ha" formal and "hai" informal (and the same for other verbs)? Like in Spanish "usted" uses what are otherwise third person verbs?
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Yes. In general an adverb modifies the verb it comes after, so Duolingo is probably trying to encourage that. The sentence may still make sense with the adverb at the end (a native speaker would need to confirm this) but at this stage we're being taught the most appropriate way of doing things. In the same way if you learn to drive, your instructor will tell you to do things a certain way, even though you can achieve the same effect another way, you're taught to practise 'good' habits.
generally, if the adverb is modifying a verb it goes after the verb (as in this case). if it’s modifying an adjective, it goes before the adjective (molto bello)
- 1286
I wrote this, and was marked wrong. I feel it should be accepted as well. I also reported it.
I put avete figli gia (sorry can't put in the accent) and it was marked incorrect. Really, does it matter where the bloody gia goes???
This came up in one of those "pick the right one from a choice of three", and it only accepted "Ha già figli" and not the one with "Hai..." This does not fill me with confidence :D
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The other option was "Ha fai dei bambini?" which looks like "Have you made children?" Is this correct too (I mean grammatically)? I just like to know so I have a second, more creative option to ask xD
I wish one had the possibility to try multiple options. Independently whether my response was correct or not, sometimes I want to check an alternative solution. Therefore, there should be one more button on the form. One could use it or not. This is my suggestion for an enhancement to DL.
Why would the addition of Tu at the beginning invalidate the correct answer?
I put "Avete gia figli" and i was marked wrong... I put it into Google Translator and my answer came out as Do you already have Children?
Hai isn't given as an option in the wordlist. Avete is, and should be accepted as a correct answer.
third person singular is also the formal way of address. so, in this particular example, you might be asking your teacher or mother in law, or boss.
Had the question been put "Do you already have children?" Then I would have answered "Avete già figli"
On the eastern side of the Atlantic we do not put "already" at the end...
