"The man eats an egg."

Translation:L'uomo mangia un uovo.

August 11, 2013

10 Comments
This discussion is locked.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Lcroghan

difference between using UNA and UN?!?!?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/AbbyLynn12

Un is a masculine article--it goes with masculine nouns. Una is the feminine article--it goes with feminine nouns. These are just something you'll have to memorize, as it isn't really something logical for native english speakers, because our nouns don't have genders.

"an egg" - singular is a masculine noun, so it "an egg" is "un uovo". "a cake", for example, is a feminine noun, so "a cake" would be "una torta"


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/carolfreire

yes, this occurs in languages such portuguese, spanish, french and italian, the article inflects according to the gender of the noun. Usually nouns ending with A will be feminine, so you use une, and the ones ending in O will be masculine, and you use un, but that is not a rule. (;


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/LA_danimo

In the incorrect answer "L'uomo mangia certo uovo," what is "certo"?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/AstariPahlevi

Sono sicuro 100% che il corretto e' 'un'uovo' o 'una uovo', perche uovo e' una delle parole feminille che fine con 'o'. E' fine con o, ma e' feminille.

I'm 100% sure that the correct answer is 'un'uovo' o 'una uovo', because 'uovo' is one of the feminine words that ends with an 'o'. So, even tho it ends with 'o', it's feminille. 'Uovo' is unique because when it's plural it becomes 'le uova'. Trust me! I've learnt italian for years and practice with more than 10 native speakers. I asked them about 'uovo' and they all said the same.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/f.formica

Uovo is an irregular word, because it's masculine in the singular (un uovo) and feminine in the plural (le uova), like "il braccio"/"le braccia", "il miglio"/"le miglia", "il membro"/"le membra" and so on (some of them have a masculine plural for specific meanings though). That doesn't change the fact that uovo is masculine.


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/AstariPahlevi

ahh i see.. grazie :)


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/RazorbackRome

why do you sometimes use "l'" for "the" and other times "il" for the masculine article?


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/Rae.F
Mod
Plus
  • 3287

Copied and pasted from the lesson:

There are a few ways to say the for masculine nouns. Lo is for words that begin with s + consonant (lo squalo), z (lo zucchero); il is for masculine nouns that begin with a consonant (il ragazzo)*; l' is used when nouns begin with a vowel (l'uomo).


https://www.duolingo.com/profile/carrie.c.n

I love doctor who.

Learn Italian in just 5 minutes a day. For free.