"Le mucche"
Translation:The cows
37 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
An example of a mnemonic: when memorizing the 4 DNA components (Guanine, Adenine, Thymine and Cytosine), think 'Go Away, Tom Cruise'. That's a mnemonic, while saying that 'mucca' sounds like (emphasis on sounds like) 'moo cow' isn't really. You can use the adjective term 'mnemonic' by saying that it helps jogs a person's memory in remembering that word, but in all sense of the noun, no, it is not commonly accepted as a mnemonic. However, as I've stated before, it does work. Just not as a mnemonic. P.S. Sorry to all Tom Cruise fans out there. It was the only one I had spare in my Human Bio notes.
actually a mnemonic is anything that helps one remember something. to say "moo cow" for mucca is a device to assist the memory and thus a mnemonic.
also mnemonics don't have to be "commonly accepted." while there are many mnemonics that are commonly used because they are particularly useful, many are just absolutely personal and never non by anyone unless they happen think of the same idea.
just saying...
singular is la mucca = the cow , h is added because if it were le mucce that cce would sound like in cena = dinner (you can check the pronunciations by going through your duolingo vocabulary)
I think they should add an explanation.. words that end with -ca and -ga receive the plural with the ending in -che , -ghe .
I don't think it's an issue of how to pluralize per se. I think it's more a matter of preserving the pronunciation of the 'c' when in the presence of a different vowel.
Silvia and Rae, you are both right: the nouns ending with -ca and -ga maintains to the plural the velar consonants K and G, therefore they become -chi and -ghi for masculine, -che and -ghe for feminin.
Botte-ga(small shop, workshop, feminin sing) http://it.forvo.com/search-it/bottega/
Botte-ghehttp://it.forvo.com/search/botteghe
Bar-ca(boat, fem.sing.) http://it.forvo.com/search/barca/it/
Bar-chehttp://it.forvo.com/search-it/barche/ (plu.)
monar-ca (monarch, masculin sing) http://it.forvo.com/search-it/monarca/ monar-chi (plural) http://it.forvo.com/search-it/monarchia/ (without the ending a), pronouce of -chi http://it.forvo.com/search/chi/
strate-ga(strategist, mas. sing) http://it.forvo.com/search-it/stratega/
strate-ghi (plural) pronounce for -ghi http://it.forvo.com/search-it/aghi/
From what my Italian buddy told me is that "Mucca" is basically what kids call cows. Vacca is the correct term, but "vacca" has taken on a sexual meaning, so it's not used when actually talking about a cow anymore...lol
la and le are both for feminine nouns.
la is for singular: la mucca (the cow)
le is for plural: le mucche (the cows)
https://ciaoitaliablog.wordpress.com/classes/italian-definite-article/
if the rule says that the singular words ending in a changes to e for the plural... is this an exeption or exist a specciall rule that says when you have to add the h like this case of mucca - mucche?
The addition of the 'h' in 'mucche' is to help preserve the pronunciation of the 'cc'. In Italian, they might pronounce 'c' differently depending on what vowel follows it. Kind of like in English we have goat and giraffe. See also dnovinc's reply to soy_eli.
"vacca" is also correct. If it's not accepted, you can report it and maybe in a while they'll add it.
le is for feminine plurals. i is for certain masculine plurals.
https://ciaoitaliablog.wordpress.com/classes/italian-definite-article/
There are two words for it in Italian, although one is more common/everyday and one is more clinical/scientific/rude.
Hello to everyone! Can someone please explain to me the difference between le/la/il/i? (How can I make the difference between them and how to know when to put the right one?) Also, when I don't have to add those words? Sometimes when I add them, it ends up as a mistake. Thanks in advance! ♥
https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/473558?comment_id=13833380
Rules for the definite article:
https://i.imgur.com/aJ7Qlgb.jpg
Rules for the indefinite article:
Masculine
https://i.imgur.com/ioiRcSS.png
Feminine
https://i.imgur.com/7WZMfoO.png
I'm aware DuoLingo translates "Le mucche" as "The cows". However, the plural of cow in English is "cattle". "Cows" is not correct English.
Sorry, but that is wrong. One cow, two cows. One bull, two bulls. One head of cattle, two heads of cattle.
To which I respond, "Sorry. One cow, two cattle".
Neither "Bulls" nor "heads of" apply here.
A single cow is "cow" in Inglese, and more than a single cow are "cattle".
Fortunately, English, like Italian, is a living language and it changes over time. So, if enough English-speakers begin to use "cows" and avoid the word "cattle", you will be correct.
I've been speaking American English my entire life. I've only ever heard ranchers use the word "cattle" regularly in the first place. This widespread use of "cows" over "cattle" has already happened.
A cow is a female bovine. How many cows did you milk today? Please cite a source where people talk about milking cattle.
A bull is a male bovine. The running of the bulls is a tradition in Pamploma.
"Cattle" is a more generic term for members of the species, including the males, the females, and the young.