Il gemello corre nel giardino.

The twin runs in the garden.

Breakdown of Il gemello corre nel giardino.

• correre: to run
• il giardino: the garden
• nel: in
• il gemello: the twin

Questions & Answers about Il gemello corre nel giardino.

Why is il used before gemello?

In Italian, the definite article il is used to refer to a specific subject or to something already identified in context. Here, il gemello points to a particular twin (rather than any twin in general).

Why does corre end in -e and what form is it?

Corre is the third-person singular present-tense form of the verb correre (to run). Verbs ending in -ere in the infinitive typically take an -e ending in the third-person singular present tense.

Why do we say nel giardino instead of in giardino?

Nel is a contraction of in + il, literally meaning "in the". It emphasizes a specific garden that is known in context. Using in giardino without the article can sound more general or idiomatic, depending on the context. However, nel giardino is very common to specify a particular garden.

Can il gemello be replaced with a name or a pronoun?

Yes. If you already know the twin's name, you could say, for example, Marco corre nel giardino. If the person is clear from context, you can use a pronoun like lui (he) or lei (she, if referring to a female twin in some contexts), though gemello typically refers to a male twin.

Does Italian require the subject pronoun before the verb like English does?

No. Unlike English, Italian does not generally require a subject pronoun because the verb endings convey who is doing the action. You can say Il gemello corre nel giardino or simply Corre nel giardino. In each case, it is clear from context that someone (the twin) is running.