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Questions & Answers about La festa dura a lungo.
What does La festa mean in this sentence?
La festa translates to "the party." "La" is the feminine singular definite article, and festa means party.
How is the verb dura conjugated, and what is its base form?
The verb dura comes from the base form durare, which means "to last." Here, dura is the third person singular present indicative, matching the subject la festa.
What does the phrase a lungo add to the sentence?
A lungo is an adverbial phrase that means "for a long time" or simply "long" when describing duration. It modifies the verb dura to indicate that the party lasts for an extended period.
Why does the sentence not include a separate word for "for" like in English?
In Italian, certain expressions of duration use a fixed phrase such as a lungo instead of a separate preposition. Although English uses "for a long time," Italian commonly uses a lungo as a standalone adverbial phrase to convey the same meaning.
Could you explain the overall structure of the sentence La festa dura a lungo?
Certainly. The sentence is structured as follows:
• La festa is the subject, meaning "the party."
• Dura is the verb in the third person singular form, meaning "lasts."
• A lungo is an adverbial phrase that describes the duration, meaning "for a long time."
Thus, the sentence communicates that the party lasts for a long time.