"Sono elettrici?"
Translation:Are they electric?
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Il mio aeroscivolante è pieno di anguille, ma non sono elettrici!
Here's my question is the use of ma here instead of perche or bensi correct, given the context?
See this wordreference.com forum on ma vs bensi. I think ma is best. Perché would mean because they aren't electric. I can imagine the silly idea that electric eels power the hovercraft where you would use perché but omit the "non," but with the "non" I don't see what on earth it's supposed to mean with perché.
Also note that anguille is feminine plural, so your adjective should match that: elettriche.
I must have missed that one. Darn it! P.S. do you think some electricity would perk up my dead budgie?
you could think of "ma" as being "but" in the most common sense and "bensì" as being "except" (when you use but as except you use bensì as ma)
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Yes, tho, I feel like adding an almeno, too, is more natural?
il mio aeroscivolante è pieno di anguille, ma almeno non sono elettrici
But at least they aren't electric
In this sentence the "elettrici" is the clue to the form of essere. Because elettrici is the plural form of elettrico we know there are more than one. Luckily (for the world mostly) there is only one of me (or io), so we know sono is being used in this sentence to refer to "They". Whereas, I believe "Sono elettrico?" would ask "Am I electric?". I hope this helps.
Cheers!
So, in other words, if it said elettrico o elettrica, then yes, it would mean "Am I electric?", correct?
I guess this could mean like, if you're shopping for a stove(s), or lawn mower, you could say "sono elettrici?" as opposed to gas.
the definition presented shows both electric and electrics, but only electric is correct. Hmmm.
The definitions given on the drop downs are only hints. In this case it simply gave two versions but beware in some cases nothing offered is applicable. Best advice is to always choose the first word; it's no guarantee but most often correct.
it's my 7th 'are they electric'; 'my shoes are electric'; 'you are electric' type sentence! It's now quite boring and not funny at all. >:(
Since this is such a great app and FREE, I just try to enjoy. So many good things about the entire app.
Sure, it is. Nobody has ever said it wasn't. I just said that there are still room to improvements.
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I find that Duo sometimes gets hung up on one word like this, usually if I make a mistake with it early in the lesson. If it gets excessive I report it via the "support" tab at the end of the lesson.
I went through a lesson like that, with the word "calendario". So I hope you made it through with all hearts intact, as I did! ♥♥♥
Yes, "electric" is definitely one of the words I've been using on a daily basis :D Haven't you? Then may be you will start once in Italy! (:
Just a though here, but we often use 'electrical' and not 'electric' as the adjective when describing something that functions with the aid of electricity. Are they both valid transaltions for 'elettrici'?
No, in English we'd never use 'electrical' in that way. Electric is correct.
And not a single comment to explain "i am electric" as a valid english sentence. I have never heard that before. (USA)
An' you ain't seen nothin' yet. At the beginning Duo has some of the most outlandish sentences. As your vocabulary increases things get better but there is also some method behind the madness. It keeps you on your toes and by avoiding cliches and commonplace sentences you have to pay attention.
Interested in more try here: Shit Duolingo Says (@shitduosays) | Twitter https://twitter.com/shitduosays
On a more academic note here is a useful post: >https://www.duolingo.com/comment/4821654
Jaye---LOVED the shitduosays link. Some of the sentences had me gasping for air, I was laughing so hard. Thanks for sharing! ;-D~
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the reminder I haven't looked there for a while. Could use a bit of a chuckle.
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But this sentence is not "I am electric'/'am I electric' because elettici is plural.
And it is not a bizarre sentence in English nor Italian.
You: Ho visto due forni al mercatino ieri.
Me: Davvero? Sono elettrici?
"Amico, questo pappagallo non 'voom' se ci metti quattro milioni di volt!" - John Cleese di Monty Python, "Lo Schizzo Pappagallo (Oh, Non Di Nuovo!)"
Why wouldn't "sono elettriche" be okay as a translation here? The last sentence I got was about electric shoes (le mie scarpe sono elettriche) and elettriche was right there, but I put elettriche here and got marked wrong. Am I missing something?
How do i tell the difference between "Am i electric?" And "Are they electric" since both are "sono electri?" ?
Ciao. Since we're only given the verbo, sono, and the adjective in its plural form, I wrote "are those electric", thinking of appliances rather than people (they). Earlier, for fruit, I wrote "they" and it was marked wrong, and the explanation was that I should have used ESSI-ESSE. Therefore, why is it correct to use THEY sono elettrici? Thanks!
Does "elettrici" refer to any other description? It does not make much sense to me to me in some sentences.
I thought in a previous sentence the plural was spelled with an "h" near the end of the word. I can't remember the exact spelling but I think it was something like "eletriche". Can anyone explain when to use these different spellings?
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It should be either electric or electricians. The word "electrics" means electrical system. In this case in English it would be singular not plural. Is this electrics?
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Electrician is 'elettricista/elletricisti/elletriciste'. Elettrico is an adjective and elettrici is the plural form, so this sentence is "Are THEY electric?". Are those masculine objects electric?
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So we have the shoes " sono elettriche" but then it is apparently wrong for "they are electric" and we have to be psychic and know Duo now wants "elettrici"?
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Why is 'are they electrics' marked wrong, and if it is wrong how would you ask this question in Italian. Electrics is commonly used to refer to a collection of electrical items.
