ELONIO
Log inSign up

Ho una sorpresa per te.

Ho una sorpresa per te.
I have a surprise for you.
FromLesson 22inHardcore Italian

Breakdown of Ho una sorpresa per te.

io
I
avere
to have
per
for
te
you
la sorpresa
the surprise

Questions & Answers about Ho una sorpresa per te.

Why is the subject "I" not explicitly stated in the sentence "Ho una sorpresa per te"?
Italian verb conjugations include information about the subject. In this case, "ho" is the first-person singular form of the verb avere (to have), which makes it clear that the sentence means "I have a surprise for you." Therefore, the subject pronoun io (I) is typically omitted.
What role does the article una play in this sentence?
Una is an indefinite article used with feminine singular nouns. Since sorpresa (surprise) is a feminine noun, una corresponds to the English article "a." It indicates that the surprise being referred to is one among many or unspecified.
What does the phrase per te mean, and why is te used instead of tu?
The phrase per te translates directly to "for you." Here, per is a preposition meaning "for," and te is the appropriate object pronoun used after prepositions. In Italian, when a pronoun follows a preposition, the subject form tu changes to the object form te.
Is it possible to rearrange the sentence without changing its meaning?
Yes, Italian allows flexible word order for emphasis. For instance, you can say "Per te ho una sorpresa" to place extra emphasis on "for you," yet the overall meaning remains the same as in the original sentence.
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Italian grammar?”
Italian grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Italian

Master Italian — from Ho una sorpresa per te to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Italian→