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- "My dad has a lion."
"My dad has a lion."
Translation:Il mio papà ha un leone.
79 Comments
Should it not be Mio papa ha un leone. I thought because of the close relationship to the father, the "il" is superfluous?
I think it would have been the case with "padre". The word "papa" unlikely belongs to that close relationship category. Hence "mio padre" and "il mio papa", "mia madre" and "la mia mamma". Needs confirmation as I am neither Italian nor a lion, just figured it out.
You're right about this. Whenever you use a nickname with a close relative (singular), you put the article. So that's why it's "il mio papà (= nickname) : ).
I'm not so sure about that. The aria goes «O mio babbino caro» ("Oh my dear daddy"), with no article. But that's a different word and it's 100 years old, so maybe it doesn't apply?
From what I understood the article is not used if you address someone. So when you talk about Dad, you say "il papà", but if you talk to him, you call him just "papà".
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
Yes I'm wondering about this as well - am waiting for the lion to say it's an exception. :(
Well I did answer Mio papa (just to check) and it was accepted so...
In the world of Italian exceptions, although it is "mia madre" and "mio padre", it is "la mia mamma" and "il mio papa'"... Anyone know why?
- 350
Terms of endearment retain the article, although they are typically used without it. Technically, either phrase is correct.
And watch out, you really need the accent in papà (and also pronounce it with a strong second a) cause otherwise it's the pope (il papa)
I am so utterly confused as to when to use an article and when not to...
It's a little bit difficult in italian language to understand when and where to put the articles (if u r not native of course). If you need something... ask me
According to my English/Italian dictionary the words for dad are "papá" or babbo". "Padre" is the word for "father".
Babbo is a regional pronunciation of dad, my tuscan girlfriend got angry once when her birth dad got called Babbo by his stepson, because her stepmum and stepbrother aren't tuscan.
The gender of the person doesn't have to match the gender of the word, they just usually do.
But it's one of those STRONG (accentuated) À's! On the other hand, il Papa (the pope)... :P
Apparently in every other question there is a HUGE difference between PADRE and PAPÁ, and now I get it wrong because I did not choose both options. Please, a little more consistency
I did Mia papa because papa ended with an 'a'. I guess I'm glad papa is considered masculine.
Papà ends in à, but it is obvious that it's a masculine name, its a bit confusing!
Not really. There are always exceptions to any linguistic rule, 'il papà' and 'la mano' being just a couple.
While papà is an exception to using an article with a singular family member, it isn't strictly required (as it is with plural family members) so both are correct
I put "mio padre ha un leone", I'm not sure why it's not correct. Even google translate translated "my father has a lion" to "mio padre ha un leone". My wife is a native speaker in Italian. I asked her to translate and she said the same thing, "mio padre ha un leone".
- 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..!
Thanks for the clarification. I was wondering about all those Italian and Arab dads with lions. Would a lion be a good Father's Day gift? :-)
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!
duolingo did accept mio padre but suggested il mio padre as an alternative.
very cool sentence lol, interesting. The lion would make a good guard cat.
