Topic: Italian

"Cosa, perché e come?"

Translation:What, why and how?

June 18, 2013

17 Comments

https://www.duolingo.com/FreddieMcFee

    Why no Oxford comma?

    March 27, 2014
    https://www.duolingo.com/JaemzHarvey
    Plus

      Because an Oxford comma is a prescriptivist ideal that pretty much only English grammarians salivate over?

      November 29, 2014
      https://www.duolingo.com/bunnypopcorn

        just shooting in the dark here but perhaps there is none in italian

        May 31, 2014
        https://www.duolingo.com/BenjaminDi10

          Is there a definite difference in the pronunciation of "è" and "e"? Will one just assume, based on sentence context, that the word is definitely "and" or definitely "is"?

          December 22, 2013
          https://www.duolingo.com/f.formica
          Mod
          • 2089

          Yes, there is: è is pronounced open like the E in "pet", while e (é) narrow like the one in "eight" or the A in "day".

          December 22, 2013
          https://www.duolingo.com/Lolologist

            When do I use e versus ed? I thought it was a matter of preference.

            June 18, 2013
            https://www.duolingo.com/f.formica
            Mod
            • 2089

            It is to some extent, but "ed" can only be used before vowels.

            June 18, 2013
            https://www.duolingo.com/Deus_Mortiis

              Basic rule is that sometimes it sounds nicer to say ed then e

              July 23, 2013
              https://www.duolingo.com/missymaelicia

                than*

                May 4, 2014
                https://www.duolingo.com/DonnaAbruzzese

                  Perché means how or why. Come means what or how. Cosa means what.

                  Does it matter when you use each one? How do you know when to?

                  April 8, 2016
                  https://www.duolingo.com/EvanOuellette

                    What the heck? That was... confusing...

                    December 17, 2015
                    https://www.duolingo.com/MacIomhair

                      The audio on this one is pretty bad - like a robot from a 1960s sci-fi movie.

                      June 29, 2018
                      https://www.duolingo.com/H.G.Stolk27

                        Who? What? Where? When? And Why? (Does anyone get this reference?)

                        December 5, 2018
                        https://www.duolingo.com/marikawait

                          Can't use an ampersand now?!

                          March 17, 2014
                          https://www.duolingo.com/RebeS333

                            Is this an idiom? or is it just a string of ambiguous words?

                            April 3, 2014
                            https://www.duolingo.com/johnsolari

                              Probably an idiom along the lines of: "Who, what, when, where, and why?"

                              June 5, 2014
                              https://www.duolingo.com/c.s.k
                              • 38

                              I like your Oxford comma.

                              May 27, 2018
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