56 Comments
Why not "I don't know why?" . . . how is "understand" not the same as "know" in this example? I'm still not getting the subtle differences duolingo is assuming in the different words for know . . . they don't seem to hold up well in English.
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In English, "I don't know why" and "I don't understand why" have virtually identical meanings. Seems Duolingo wants us to distinguish in English in order better to understand the difference in Italian.
Yes, I quite agree with BampaOwl. The verb "to know" in English has many different meanings. Of these, it can mean either "to have knowledge of something" or "to comprehend something." So out of context, "I don't know" and "I don't understand" sound like they mean the same thing. It is much easier in context, and the difference in meaning between the sentences "I don't have knowledge of why he went there" and "I am unable to make sense of why he went there" is easy to see. But without sufficient context, most people would have a hard time understanding the difference between "to know why" and "to understand why."
Maybe it is more important for us to think about correct usage of capire, comprendere, sapere and conoscere rather than English here. The most often phrase I both hear and use is Non ho capito, which is definitely "I have not understood." People often finish a sentence with the query " Capito?" I assume short for Hai Capito? or Ha capito?
Interesting thanks. Demonstrates how Italian immigrants influenced everyday American English. Slightly different use than everyday modern Italian. At least in the central regions
There is lot difference between understanding and knowing. If you know a guy doesn't means, you understand him.
Know and understand are the same in English. That doesn't mean they are the same in Italian.
"You know" would translate to "sai" in Italian.
Capire vs comprendere vs sapere are interesting to compare different uses and not always what you would expect, while on the subject there is also conoscere . has to be in context but capire seems commonly used for not understanding what someone is saying
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In italiano "non capisco perché" e "non so perché" si usano indifferentemente ... es :non so perché hai detto questo...0 ..non capisco perché hai detto questo... Il significato non cambia, o almeno un italiano capirà benissimo
Both should be acceptable. "Don't" is only a contraction of "do not", after all.
How do you know when use è and when to use é?
you just have to remember some things like è for is, and perché. dont worry about why, just remember
Getting away from the difference between knowing and understanding, what are the usage rules for "non" versus "no?" I said "No capisco perche" and Lingo marked it wrong.
Can someone explain the accents and how you know which direction it should face?
I put "I don't understand why" and was marked as incorrect with "I do not understand why" given as the correct version. It seems Dueling doesn't (or does not) recognize that "don't" is simply the contraction of "do not".
But I don't understand! I don't understand how this all happens. How we go through this. I mean, I knew her, and then she's, there's just a body, and I don't understand why she just can't get back in it and not be dead anymore! It's stupid! It's mortal and stupid! And, and Xander's crying and not talking, and, and I was having fruit punch, and I thought, well she will never have any more fruit punch, ever, and she'll never have eggs, or yawn or brush her hair, not ever, and no one will explain to me why.
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i agree, it is not clear why is not accepted ''because''. , in this case is not the same as ''why''?
I'm confused because I'm writing I do not understand why and it's claiming that's wrong
I think capire means to grasp something, to understand. Sapere is to know, have knowledge of, conoscere is like you know a person. Is that correct?
Conoscere carries the sense of "to be familiar with," "to be acquainted with," "to meet" or "to get to know"
Sapere is used with facts, data, specific pieces of information, names, phone numbers and addresses
e.g 'Conosco quella ragazza, ma non so il suo nome. - I know that girl, but I don't know her name'
Read the link below for further clarification
http://tutorino.ca/grammatica/2007/5/28/sapere-and-conoscere.html
why did the translation come on screen as -" I don't get why" this is not good English and very confusing
It should be given some additional phrases here for illustration of such an unusual translation instead of that we'd like to find.
No , you have to combine it with a vowel to soften it. i or e . So ciao =ch and capisce= sh. Without a vowel the c is hard
''I don't get it'' or ''I don't get why '' is pretty common parlance in the eastern US, where I come from. not standard, though. ''don't understand'' is better, and should be preferred, if I ran the circus
To understand is to know, or to have knowledge. "Know" should also be accepted.
I think Sapere would more accurately translate as To Know. See other posts above using different verbs where English would often use to Know
Isnt it "i dont understand because?" A much rather better translation then "why"
I believe that "I don't understand because" is not a complete sentence in English
Well, knowing and understanding aren't the same things. You can know something but don't understand it
The key here is the "why." To many, many native speakers of English, "I don't know why" and "I don't understand why" mean essentially the same thing. So, yes, you can know something without understanding it. But you can not know why without understanding why. Not in English, that is.
