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Questions & Answers about Il dolore è forte.
Why is there a definite article in Il dolore?
In Italian you normally use the definite article with abstract or general concepts, e.g. il dolore, la gioia, la paura. In English you often drop the article when speaking in general, but in Italian it’s required to say il dolore rather than just dolore.
How do I know dolore is masculine?
All Italian nouns have grammatical gender. Although dolore ends in -e (which can be either), it’s masculine. You’ll often see that confirmed by the article il (masculine singular) or by checking a dictionary entry (it will say “m.” for masculine).
Why does forte come after the noun rather than before it?
The default Italian adjective position is after the noun: dolore forte. Placing an adjective before the noun is possible for emphasis or poetic effect (e.g. fiero guerriero), but standard descriptive adjectives follow the noun in everyday speech and writing.
Why use è forte instead of saying mi fa molto male?
Il dolore è forte literally describes the pain as “strong.” Mi fa molto male (“it hurts me a lot”) uses the verb fare with a reflexive meaning and focuses on the sensation “to hurt.” Both express intensity, but one is a state with essere and an adjective, the other is an action with fare/male.
Can I express a higher degree of pain than forte?
Yes. You can say molto forte (“very strong”) or use the superlative fortissimo (“extremely strong”):
• Il dolore è molto forte.
• Il dolore è fortissimo.
How do I pronounce dolore and where is the stress?
Dolore is pronounced doh-ˈlɔ-re, with the stress on the second syllable LO. The “o” sounds like the open “o” in “port.”
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