Learn Hardcore Italian: Il mio amico ha ragione, la città è bella. - My friend is right, the city is beautiful.

Ha ragione is an idiomatic expression in Italian that literally translates to “has reason,” but it means “is right” or “is correct.” It indicates that the speaker’s friend is correct in his opinion or statement.

How is possession expressed in Il mio amico?

In Il mio amico, possession is indicated by the adjective mio, which means “my.” The phrase also includes the definite article il (the) before amico (friend). In Italian, possessive adjectives like mio agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Why is there a comma between ha ragione and la città è bella?

The comma separates two independent but related clauses. The first clause, Il mio amico ha ragione, and the second clause, la città è bella, could each stand as a complete sentence. The comma is used here to connect them smoothly since they are thematically related statements about the friend’s opinion and a description of the city.

Is the placement of the adjective bella after the noun città typical in Italian?

Yes, it is. In Italian the descriptive adjective bella usually follows the noun città. This placement is common when the adjective is used in a purely descriptive sense. Though adjectives in Italian can sometimes come before the noun to change the nuance, the standard descriptive form places the adjective after the noun.

What tense are the verbs ha and è, and what does that indicate?

Both ha (from the verb avere) and è (from the verb essere) are in the present tense. This indicates that the statements “my friend is right” and “the city is beautiful” describe current realities or states of being.

Does ragione have any additional nuance beyond its literal translation as “reason”?

While ragione can be translated as “reason,” in the idiomatic expression ha ragione it serves a different purpose. Rather than referring to a logical or abstract concept of ‘reason,’ it is used to indicate that someone’s opinion or judgment is correct. It is an example of how literal translations may shift meaning in idiomatic usage in Italian.