Learn Hardcore Italian: Il parente aiuta la famiglia.

Il and la are definite articles meaning "the" in English. Il is used before masculine singular nouns (as in il parente), while la is used before feminine singular nouns (as in la famiglia). They clarify not only that these are specific items, but also indicate the gender of the nouns.

How do I know that aiuta is the correct form of the verb for il parente?

Aiuta is the third person singular present tense form of the regular -are verb aiutare. Since il parente is a singular noun, the verb must also be in the singular form. If the subject were plural (e.g., i parenti), the verb would change to aiutano to maintain subject-verb agreement.

Why is the noun parente paired with the masculine article il even though it can refer to both genders?

The noun parente has a common form used for both masculine and feminine relatives. The gender is determined by the article: il parente implies a male relative, while la parente would imply a female relative. The noun itself doesn’t change form, so the article is essential for indicating gender.

What is the sentence structure of Il parente aiuta la famiglia, and how does it compare to English word order?