- Forum >
- Topic: Italian >
- "Come si scrive il tuo nome?"
41 Comments
I always translate this one literally and it usually helps. 'How [does] one write your name?' In Duo's translation: 'How do you write your name?' the first 'you' is referring to people in general. Hope this helped anyone having trouble.
I think this should be Duo's standard translation in these cases. Though sounding very formal in English, this is the precise meaning of 'se/si' in these instances, an impersonal pronoun.
For this level, I've had to do some extra research about indirect, direct, and reflexive pronouns. This particular sentence has a construct with "si" that has foiled me several times, but I found a good explanation of how it works. Here, the "si" is operating as an impersonal reflexive pronoun. Here is a website with a good explanation: http://www.netplaces.com/italian-practice/the-impersonal-si-piacere-commands/the-impersonal-si-construction.htm
Thanks! Here is a similar page I found with a link that wotks 31/07/20 https://www.lifeinitaly.com/italian/reflexive-verbs-iii/#:~:text=The%20reflexive%20pronouns%20(i%20pronomi,the%20reflexive%20pronouns%20in%20Italian.
Using scrivi it would translate as "how do YOU write your name". You need to use the scrive form to translate as "how is your name written". Hope this helps.
Thanks, AndreAndrez, I wondered about scrivi/scrive. Literally the Italian says: How is written your name? That explains the scrive.
The name is the subject, literally: "How does your name write itself?" In German one would say similarly: "Wie schreibt sich dein Name?"
I think that the most accurate translation here is: How is your name written?
1-How is your name written? come si scrive il tuo nome? The verb used here is the reflexive verb: "scriversi".
It could also be the verb "scrivere" with the "passive si". the litteral translation would be: how do people write your name?
2- How do you write your name? come scrivi il tuo nome? (informal) come scrive il suo nome? (formal) The verb used here is : "scrivere"
Am I wrong?
I don't understand the difference between si and se. Why not "come se scrivi il tuo nome"?
"Se" is "if" or "herself". Why exactly "si" and not "se" - I don't know for sure. But I think "se" is feminine, and "si" is masculine, maybe.
2247
I think in another example "si+ third person singular" was translated as "we do something". So shouldn't " how do we write your name" be a valid translation here?
No. "Si + 3rd personal verb" means a reflexive verb. So "si scrive" means smth like "writes itself". But in English (in this case) we use Passive.
- 298
So it's like passive voice in English, si scrive = be written. That makes sense by using scrive rather than scrivi
How does she write your name? i think because it's "scrive" for he and she so it'snot you and "Si"means it's about her
No. "She" wasn't meant here. "Si scrive" means a reflexive verb like "write itself". But in English we use Passive for this case: How's you name spelled? (How does you name spell itself? - not natural for English, but for Italian and e.g. Russian: Как пишется твое имя?)
Why is not it possible to translate as 'How your name is written'? IMHO, this will be the most adequate translation of the phrase, but Duo considers it an error.
It's because your sentence isn't grammatically correct.
How is your name written?
How do you write your name?
Wonder why: "how do we write your name" is not excepted. "We" as in the general "we".
After some investigation, it seems this falls under the category of Passive Impersonal statements, or 'passivante' voice. I would have translated this statement in English to 'how is your name written'? In this formula, you use the passive particicle si (the smae as teh reflexive pronoun si), and conjugate the verb in the third person singular or plural (depending if the subject is singular or plural). There is ALWAYS an object. You can read more about it here: https://www.thoughtco.com/using-the-passive-voice-in-italian-4050932
It would be helpful if Duo would explain how this works instead of suddenly presenting us with Come si scrive.... The comment from JennaHO was totally enlightening - thank you!!
