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- "My dad has a lion."
"My dad has a lion."
Translation:Il mio papà ha un leone.
79 Comments
452
Dad and papa are much more intimate than "father." So why wouldn't the article go with "father" instead? The logic just broke all to splinters here....
183
I've asked a native speaker and she says you can say both "mio papà" and "il mio papà." Same with mamma: la mia mamma and mia mamma are both correct. Nonno and nonna are the same, unlike other family member words
350
Terms of endearment retain the article, although they are typically used without it. Technically, either phrase is correct.
1510
You don't use the article with the singular as long as you're talking about a close relative. So you'd always say, "mio papà," or, "mia mamma," or, "mia sorella". But if it's not a close relative, that's when you'd use the article: "il mio amico," or, "il mio insegnante". You always use the article when it's plural, no matter what: "i miei fratelli," or, "i miei genitori".
264
Yes that's true for family names such as "mio padre (father)", but when you use nicknames or such, like papà, then Italians tend to prefer putting the article in front (il mio papà).
You only use the article if it's the word papà and babbo. For the word padre, we omit the article. It's a rule.
Ex. Il mio papà ha una mela. <-- My dad has an apple. Correct Il mio babbo ha una mela. <-- My dad has an apple. Correct. Il mio padre ha una mela. <-- Wrong. Should be: Mio padre ha una mela.
Same goes for madre and mamma.
264
Rich middle eastern dad ;)
Those who also study Arabic here will also encounter a lot of those sentences; and apparently it is not uncommon to have a lion (assad) as a pet there..!
I'm afraid I'm just totally confused, we seemed to learn a rule then suddenly ignore it! The point I would like to clarify is this. Regardless of which is 'correct', would both be understood? If the answer to that is 'yes', then I shall move on, happy and contented, to the next lesson along with all my mistakes!