31 Comments
"I am on the other side of the field" and "I am from the other side of the field" are two different statements. What is the nuance here that I am missing in the translation?
"They are from the other side of the field".
I've heard of and experienced campanalismo but this is ridiculous
Dall' is the contraction for both masculin and feminine. Dallo altro becames dall'altro. Dalla altra becomes dall'altra. And you can still know which one is masculin or feminine
Wouldn't "dal" mean "from the" and "nel" mean "on the"?
Sono dall'altro lato del campo = I am from the other side of the field
Sono nell'altro lato del campo = I am on the other side of the field
149
If I answer "I am at the other SIDE of the field", it marks me wrong and gives the correct answer as "I am at the other END of the field." But when I say "other end" it marks me wrong and gives the correct answer as "other side"! It seems to do this sort of thing with some frequency. Is Duolingo schizophrenic?
I would like a native speaker to answer Joseph Gross's point. "from the other side of the field" used with "to be" means that's where I live, or similar. "On the other side" indicates position.
Is "dall'altro" short form of "dalla altro"? It's definitely not pertain to "lato", which demands "il".
Etymologically speaking, I think the [l'] in [l'uomo] IS technically a short form -- or rather an elision -- of [il uomo]. In usage, there is only [l'uomo]. But [l'] is not just an elision of [il] but also [la], for example [l'uva] is also technically an elision of [la uva].
More simply put, [l'] can be either masculine or feminine. You could think of it as a "short form" of [la] OR [il], always occurring before a vowel.
So yes, [dall'altro] does agree with [lato]. First [altro] agrees with [lato]; [altro] is the masculine version of the adjective [altro/altra/altri/altre]. The form of [il/la/l'] that proceeds [altro lato] must follow the rules for agreement with [altro] not [lato]. Since it is a word that begins with a vowel, it takes [l'] and therefore [dall'altro lato].
It's a bit like the quadratic formula actually! Hope that helps and isn't too confusing.
It looks as though "l'uomo" is an elision of "lo uomo" rather than "il uomo". (http://italian.about.com/od/grammar/a/italian-definite-article-forms.htm)
You would say "l'altro," not "la altro," and da + l' = dall'. Therefore, "dall'altro."
I was marked wrong for saying 'I am on the other side of the square' but in Venice this would be a valid translation as there are many squares or campi, such as Campo San Polo. Would that translation make sense outside Venice?
- 1001
In Genova there are no campi except for fields. All squares are piazze.
Also if "on the other side of the field" is correct so must "i'm the other side of the field" . In English both indicate position, and omission of the preposition "on" does not alter the meaning.
- 386
I put I am the other side of the field (or square if you are in Venice) and was marked incorrect because I should have put I am on the other side. Really????
If this is idiomatic in English you could say ' I am from the other side of the fence.'
- 653
Why isn't it "dal altro lato' since lato is masculine and dall' is the contraction for the feminine article?
I said camp instead of field and it was marked correct. How would you say they are from the other side.
What's wrong with "I am on the other side of the playing field?" Am I wrong or should I report it?
