Breakdown of Nel canyon sento un'eco forte dopo ogni parola che pronuncio.
io
I
ogni
every
in
in
dopo
after
che
that
la parola
the word
forte
loud
sentire
to hear
il canyon
the canyon
l’eco
the echo
pronunciare
to pronounce
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Questions & Answers about Nel canyon sento un'eco forte dopo ogni parola che pronuncio.
Why is un’eco written with an apostrophe instead of una eco?
In Italian, when una comes before a feminine noun starting with a vowel (like eco), the a is dropped and replaced with an apostrophe for euphony. So una eco becomes un’eco.
How do I know that eco is feminine, even though it ends in -o?
Most Italian nouns ending in -o are masculine, but there are exceptions you must memorize. Eco is one of those exceptions and is always feminine: l’eco, un’eco, le eco, due echi.
Why is eco singular here, when it seems there are echoes after every word?
Each time you speak a word you hear one echo. You’re describing the echo that follows each individual word, so you use the singular. If you wanted to talk about multiple echoes at once, you’d say echi forti.
Why does the adjective forte come after eco, and why doesn’t it change ending for feminine?
Adjectives in Italian usually follow the noun. Forte ends in -e, so it has the same form for both masculine and feminine singular. Its plural would be forti.
What’s the deal with nel canyon? Isn’t canyon an English word?
Yes, canyon is an English loanword but in Italian it’s treated as a masculine noun: il canyon. Nel is simply the contraction of in + il.
Why is there no preposition di in dopo ogni parola?
Certain Italian prepositions (like dopo, prima, senza) can be used directly with a noun or pronoun without adding di. So you say dopo ogni parola (after each word), not dopo di ogni parola.
Why is che pronuncio in the indicative mood and not the subjunctive?
The subjunctive is used for uncertainty, wishes or non-factual situations. Here you’re stating a fact—you actually pronounce words and then hear an echo—so the indicative (pronuncio) is correct.
Could I drop che and just say dopo ogni parola pronuncio?
No. In Italian, when you want to connect parola with the verb pronunciare in this explanatory way, you need the relative pronoun che. So dopo ogni parola che pronuncio is the natural structure.