47 Comments
why does the article need to go before latte in this sentence (i.e. 'il loro elefante beve latte' is marked as wrong)? Often the article seems unnecessary in this kind of sentence!
Yes, as AnthonnyAG says, it's kinda he drinks that one is in front of us, maybe a good milk they bought at a supermarket for elephants. Only "latte" it would be milk in general. We don't know if this elephant always drinks milk, we only know that he is drinking this one, this time.
The problem is that even though the Italian sentence seems to suggest some particular milk, the English translation does not.
In this case the article makes a difference between "il latte" and "latte". When you use the article is to point an specific milk. Of course, there should be more context to understand the meaning of the arcticle.
Possibly la elefante beve al stesso ristorante che dove il leone con la bistecca e Signo Salsiccia
484
"Forse l'elefante beve nello stesso stesso ristorante dove c'è il leone con la bistecca e [didn't get that]" :-)
Ha ha - it is from another question - the mysterious sentence that says "The sausage is in the restaurant"...I imagined it to be a reference to a person waiting in a restaurant :)
Like one of those code phrases -- "The French toast flys upsidedown at midnight"! LOL ;~D
Haha just read that,, now i am imagining a sausage sittling at the table waitin to be served
I didn't hear the article before latte otherwise would have written it. This type of exercise isn't a translation but just learning to hear what is being said
- 484
Well, I don't blame you for not hearing the article: "il" is often pronounced as just "l" and in this very sentence, since "latte " starts with an "l", it is not distinguishable but for a longer "l" sound ("bevellatte").
Why doesn't "Il loro elefante beve il latte" transelate to " their elephant drinks the milk" il latte = the milk?
I would also expect, that "Il Loro elefante beve latte" should be correct. Is it?
I also put that and thought it would be correct. There seems to be inconsistence on this site about the use of the article. Not the first time I have had a sentence marked wrong because of it but I suppose in this case we were supposed to write EXACTLY what was said.
I think you are right. We should translate litteraly and it seems to be designed on purpose like that, at least to some degree.
I would like to see some kind of rationale, excuse or a reason why that should be better for us when learning Italian. Then I would know for sure it is designed on purpose.
- 233
Picking up the audible difference between "i" and "il" is really quite hard. And getting it wrong changes the rest of the sentence.
'il loro elefante'...is the 'il' in this part of the sentence referring to the elephant which is masculine? So it would be 'la loro cucina' for female nouns?
Lol I said it right the first time but it didn't work, said it a second and still didn't. On the third time I said nothing and duo said I was correct
Just checking - is loro used for both they and their? Unlike tu for you, but tuo for your... if so, perché?
- 23
They are mammals, I assure you they do. At least the small cute clumsy baby elephants.
whether milk is masculine or feminine does not bother me. All I can say is I am glad that I don't have to buy milk for an elephant
I answered "Their elephants drink the milk" and it is wrong. How do I know it is drinks/drinking vs. drink?
- 484
il loro elefante = 'their elephant' (singular).
'their elephants' = i loro elefanti (plural).
Loro is the possessive adjective for 'they'.
I put the correct translated sentence but the system claims it's incorrect and that the proper translation has beve as "is drinking"
Terrible sound, the il was not audible in the normal speed recording and isn't necessary anyway!
Pardon me - but Duolingo is getting worse and worse. The tenth variation of the same stupid sentences! Nothing more than multiple choice! No system in using the words! No tasks to translate INTO ITALIAN any more...but THIS IST WHAT YOU NEED IN ITALIA!! Sorry, folks, but this Duolingo is just crap! No reason to be proud of re-styling the learning. It is a mess. - But, luckily, now we know how to ask in Firenze "how animals die". Blessed we are.
Why is "Il" used before loro? Could it not be: "Loro elefante beve il latte"
