Breakdown of Trovo la chiavetta USB nella tasca della giacca.
io
I
di
of
trovare
to find
la giacca
the jacket
la tasca
the pocket
la chiavetta USB
the USB drive
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Questions & Answers about Trovo la chiavetta USB nella tasca della giacca.
Why is the verb trovo in the present tense instead of the past (ho trovato)?
Italians often use the simple present to express an immediate discovery or to give a narrative a sense of immediacy. Saying Trovo la chiavetta USB nella tasca della giacca is like saying “I find the USB stick in my jacket pocket” right as it happens. Of course, Ho trovato la chiavetta USB… (“I found the USB stick…”) is also correct if you’re simply reporting the event after the fact.
What does chiavetta USB mean? Is it the same as “USB stick” or “pendrive”?
Chiavetta USB literally means “USB key,” but it corresponds exactly to “USB flash drive,” “USB stick,” or informally “pendrive.” All these terms are understood in Italy, but chiavetta USB is the most common formal expression.
Why is chiavetta feminine and preceded by la?
In Italian, chiavetta is the diminutive form of chiave (key), which is a feminine noun. The suffix -etta simply makes it “little key,” but the gender remains feminine. Hence you say la chiavetta, una chiavetta, and any adjective must agree: la chiavetta piccola, una chiavetta nuova.
Why doesn’t USB change form for gender or number, and why is it in uppercase?
USB is an English acronym (Universal Serial Bus) borrowed unchanged into Italian as an invariable adjective. You never say USBa or USBi; it stays USB whether singular or plural:
- una chiavetta USB
- due chiavette USB
It’s written in uppercase to signal that it’s an acronym.
Why do we say nella tasca instead of in la tasca?
Italian contracts certain prepositions with definite articles:
- in + la → nella
- di + la → della
and so on. So nella tasca literally means “in the pocket.”
What does della giacca mean, and why is it used here?
Della is the contraction of di + la, meaning “of the.” Nella tasca della giacca therefore means “in the pocket of the jacket.” You need della giacca to specify which pocket: the jacket’s pocket.
Could I just say in tasca instead of nella tasca della giacca?
Yes. Trovo la chiavetta USB in tasca means “I find the USB stick in (my) pocket” in a general sense. Adding nella tasca della giacca makes it clear that it’s specifically the jacket’s pocket. Both are correct; one is just more precise.
How do you pronounce USB in Italian?
You articulate each letter in Italian:
- u (pronounced [u])
- esse (for S, pronounced [ˈɛs.se])
- bi (for B, pronounced [ˈbi])
So you say u-ess-bi.