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- Topic: Italian >
- "I pesci bevono acqua."
120 Comments
"Freshwater fish do not actively drink water, but absorb the water through their skin and gills. On the other hand, saltwater fish do actively drink sea water. Their gills process the water and take out the salt.
The salmon is an interesting example of a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water, and consequently, they have the characteristics of both types of fish. Salmon are born in fresh water, and migrate to the ocean. While living in the ocean, they drink saltwater by opening their mouth; their gills then rid their bodies of the salt and minerals. When the salmon enters freshwater streams to spawn, they stop drinking the water and instead absorb it through osmosis (osmosis means that the water passes through the cells of the fish's skin into its body)."
I love this about this site. I learn a language, and I learn some totally interesting facts outside of language, both of which I can use outside of Duolingo. Thanks for sharing this info!
I just came to see if someone was an expert on fish so i can learn. :)
There are actually some fish species that can can survive out of water, like the catfish, so i guess they need to drink a lot of water before starting an adventure outside the water. Or maybe i'm just saying senseless things, because i never really read something like that about catfish. Anyway, it certainly needs to remain wet to survive outside the water.
Lungfish as well. Oh, and flying fish... very cool to see in person :-)
Yes, nearly all marine fish have the problem to get dehydrated when they don't drink enough water to compensate the loss of water caused by the high salt concentration of the sea ;-). So the sentence actually makes sense.
Cool, did not know that. I saw the sentene and was like, ummmm.... but now I see it makes sense. Thanks!
Same question. I guess if you translate it, "The fish drink THE water" is slightly different than "Fish drink water."
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Then why in earlier lessons am I corrected from io bevo acqua to io bevo l'acqua for 'I drink water' ?
And by the same token, why is there a definite article in front on pesce? the sentence says fish drink water, but the correct answer is I pesce bevono acqua....so actually The fish drink water is the correct translation.
Because "aqua" is water in general, meaning that fish as a whole drink water as a whole. "l'aqua", the water, implies that there is specific water that is drunk by fish.
Because l'acqua is THE water. Even in English, the sentence is Fish drink water. There's no article there, so you don't need an article in Italian either :) So instead of l'acqua, its just acqua
the plural can be fish or fishes or so duo's translation says. Fishes is rarely used in english. A school of fishes is rarely used.
"fishes" is used to indicate more than one type of fish, "fish" is used to indicate more than one of the same type.
msnmmrt: I don't believe that's the way more than one type of fish is commonly indicated. Here in Louisiana, e..g. you'll hear: "There are many types of fish here," or "There are a lot of different fish here." And so forth. "Fishes" may be used in technical, scientific references, but 'fish' is what's commonly used.
I've Usually Heard Fishes As The Plural Plural Of Fish, Like Peoples, Which Refers To Multiple Groups Of People, For Example One Might Say The English Are A People, Or That Great Britain Is Inhabited By 3 Different Peoples: The English, Welsh, And Scots.
Although I've Never Been To Louisiana, So It's Possible It's Simply Not Used In Louisiana.
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Why do I get "the fish drinks water" incorrect, duo tells me the correct answer is "the fish drink water", I know "fish" is the plural of "fish", so the first sentence represents the singular interpretation and the second sentence marks the plural interpretation.
The first sentence says "I pesci" which implies the plural form of fish so the correct translation would be in plural form: "The fish drink water."
The word "I" means "the" when preceding a plural noun so why was I marked wrong when I translated this sentence to "the fish drink water"
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When do you use 'gli' and when 'I'? So far there's only been 'gli uomini' and i don't see why the article is different
The below articles are for MALE words only
'gli' is the plural form of 'lo'
'i' is the plural form of 'il'
Lo and Gli are used mainly for words
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beginning with a vowel ------------ Gli uomini
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beginning with z ------------------- Gli zoppi
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beginning with s + consonant ----- Gli studenti
Also for words starting with gn, x and some other exceptions
The translation from I pesci bevono acqua to fish drink water instead of the fish drink water. Hmnnn
Why is there an I before Pesci and is just translated as "Fish" instead of "The fish"? In English, "I pesci" would be "THE fish" and refer to specific fish. Saying just "fish drink water" would refer to all fish. Is this different in italian?
I'm a bit confused. Even it referring to plural I must say fish (sing)? I am not native.
In English, some nouns are irregular. Rarely, English plurals can be the same as English singulars.
"There is one deer. There are two deer." "There is one fish. There are two fish."
Rightly so, though on hot summer days, some have been known to have a cold gin and tonic or two, others an ice-cold summer ale.
Roxy...It could be depending on context. Duo's translation makes for a more general statement, yours would be more specific.
I just came here to read the comments I was already expecting to encounter.
why do the fish drink acqua, but the dogs drink l'acqua? When is the l' required?
I saw duolingo used l'acqua as a general reference to water many times. And I've read an article about how definite article is not used in Italian the same way it is in English. So are you certain it works this way?
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I would like to know where you have to use the word I (i pesci), le, la, lo, thanks in advance
'I' Is The General Masculine Plural Form Of 'The', But It Becomes 'Gli' Before Words Starting With A Vowel, Or 'S' Or 'Z'. 'Le' Is The Feminine Plural Form Of 'The', 'La' Is The General Feminine Singular Of 'The', And 'Lo' Is A Masculine Singular Used Be for Words Starting With 'S' Or 'Z', I Believe.
Jilli..."The fish" can be singular or plural. The plural form "fishes" exists but it is not commonly used. It would be found in older literary writings, e.g. the bible.
Isn't it supposed to be "Fishes drink water"? Since it is plural? If the sentence is "Fish drink water" then it is supposed to be "Pesce beve acqua." (I'm confused)
- 102
In english, the plural of 'fish' is 'fish'. You can tell whether it is singular or plural by the verb, as one fish (singular) drinks , whereas many fish (plural) drink (without the 's')
How come fish translates to "i pesci" and not just "pesci"? How do you distinguish between definite and indefinite article in plural?
'Fish' Is Used As Both The Singular And Plural In English, Most Likely To Confuse Foreigners, Fishes Would Be Either To Go Fishing, Or Multiple Types Of Fish.
Bevono bevo beve beviano bevebevebevebeve, all this water drinking makes me crazy
I have written: The fish drinks water. Why the correct answer is: Fish drink water?
Eight minutes later: Ah, now I have understood: That's why "pesci" is plural. The singular is "pesce"
AD007 - it's plural. "Fish" can be singular or plural, but your verb form, 'drinkS' makes it singular, 1 fish, whereas DL's sentence is plural, all or many fish.
The fish is actually the plural instead of fishes. Therefore, I pesci is also correct. Yet it was marked incorrect.
This translation is wrong in some part of the Duolingo's frase. Because the correct answer to this question ("I pesci bevono acqua") should be: "Fishes drink water".
Lucas, the translation's not wrong. "Fish" is both singular and plural. "Fishes" exists I'd say as an archaic plural found in biblical texts, but it's not common in everyday usage.
It Doesn't Say They Drink It Out Of A Glass, Simply That They Drink It. If You Stuck Your Head In A Bucket Of Water, And Swallowed Some Of It, You'd Still Be Drinking It.
BekfastWaffles: No. It's plural and the singular and plural are the same: fish. The Italian is clearly plural so "Fish drink". A fish drinkS, but all the fish drink.
I pesci means fishes. Plural. It's not equal fish because that is singular. And yet duolingo accepts 'fish'. Why??
Reka, In modern English "fish" is both singular and plural, so here 'fish" for "i pesci" is absolutely correct. "Fishes" exists as an archaic form, found e.g. in biblical English.
sonterekeme: It's plural not singular. The fish drink water, not drinks.
Fishes... the fishes .... fish... the fish... all go!? Very inespecific :( :)
In This Sentance, It's Plural, But 'Fish' Is Both The Plural And Singular Form In English, And Which One Needs To Be Inferred From Context.
"i" translates as "the". I enter "the fish drink water", and it's mistake - "fish drink water" is right. Why?
im so triggered I PUT THE, THE FISH AND FISH CAN BOTH MEAN MULTIPLE CUTE LIL FISHIES
this is confusing. shouldn't " pesci" mean "fishes" since it's plural?
The right writting shouldn't be "drinks water" because fish is third person, help me with that please
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Came here to learn why there is an "I" in front of "pesci", became an expert on fish hydration instead.
