Exercises + Written explanation: learnamo.com/la...
If you want to stay up to date with the latest contents we publish day by day, follow us on:
Facebook: / learnamo
Instagram: / learnamo
Twitter: / learnamo
The apostrophe in Italian is a real nightmare! But it’s time to clarify how it is used once and for all! Watch our lesson and try to do the exercises! 😆
Quando usare l’apostrofo in italiano?
1. QUAL’È or QUAL È?
In this case it is always used the form WITHOUT APOSTROPHE!
Example:
Qual è il vostro film preferito? (What’s your favourite movie?)
2. PÒ or PO’?
Po’ is the abbreviation for “poco”, so it must be always written WITH THE APOSTROPHE!
Example:
Oggi sono un po’ stanca. Vorrei riposarmi un po’. (Today I’m a bit tired. I’d like to get a little rest)
3. UN UOMO or UN’UOMO?
Masculine names beginning with a vowel and preceded by the indefinite article “un”, never take the apostrophe!
Example:
Marco è un uomo buono. (Marco is a good man)
Other examples are:
Un ordine (An order)
Un orologio (A watch)
Un atto (An act)
and so on…
N.B. Obviously, the apostrophe is always used with the definite article followed by a word beginning with a vowel:
L’uomo (The man),
L’atto (The act),
L’orologio (The watch) etc…
4. UN APE or UN’APE?
Feminine nouns beginning with a vowel and preceded by the indefinite article “una” do take the apostrophe, because the “A” of “una” is removed when followed by another vowel.
Example:
Lucia è stata punta da un’ape. (Lucia was stung by a bee)
Other examples are:
Un’isola (An island)
Un’immagine (A picture)
5. QUALCUN ALTRO or QUALCUN’ALTRO?
The form without apostrophe is the correct one. QUALCUNO ends with “uno”, so the rule of the indefinite article we have seen before is still valid.
Example:
Sei venuto da solo o c’è qualcun altro con te? (Did you come alone or is there someone else with you?)
For the same reason, we will also write NESSUN ALTRO and not NESSUN’ALTRO, with the apostrophe.
6. ‘900 or 900?
If you want to indicate a century from 1100 on, you can also omit the first “one”, but you necessarily have to add the apostrophe at the beginning:
Example:
1100 = ‘100
1200 = ‘200
1300 = ‘300
1400 = ‘400
and so on…
WATCH OUT! Don’t forget the apostrophe because there are also the centuries 100, 200, 300 and so on!!!
7. The apostrophe can also be used with the years of the 20th century (‘900), but only with those years!
Example:
Sono nata nel ‘78 (= 1978). (I was born in 1978)
Sono nato nel ‘91 (= 1991). (I was born in 1991)
But we will say:
La Rivoluzione francese è scoppiata nel 1789. (The French Revolution broke out in 1789)
1789 remains like that because it’s not a year of the 20th century.
22 авг 2024