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Il veterinario controlla la salute dell'animale.

Il veterinario controlla la salute dell'animale.
The veterinarian checks the animal's health.
FromLesson 30inHardcore Italian

Breakdown of Il veterinario controlla la salute dell'animale.

di
of
la salute
the health
controllare
to check
l'animale
the animal
il veterinario
the veterinarian

Questions & Answers about Il veterinario controlla la salute dell'animale.

What does controlla mean in this sentence?
controlla is the third-person singular present indicative of controllare, meaning he/she/it checks, monitors, or inspects. Here it translates as “checks” (the veterinarian checks).
Why is the definite article Il used before veterinario?
Italian normally uses a definite article before a profession when speaking about a specific person. Il is the masculine singular article used before consonants, so Il veterinario means the veterinarian.
Why is there a la before salute?
In Italian, most abstract nouns like salute (health) require a definite article. You cannot omit it as you would in English. Hence la salute equals “the health.”
How does dell’animale work?
It’s the contraction of di + l’animale. Di indicates possession (“of”), and l’ is the elided form of the definite article before a vowel. So di + l’animale becomes dell’animale, meaning “of the animal.”
Why is there no apostrophe in del cane but there is one in dell’animale?
Del is di + il, used before a masculine singular noun starting with a consonant (e.g., cane). No apostrophe is needed. Dell’ is di + l’, used before a noun that begins with a vowel (e.g., animale), and it must drop the vowel and add an apostrophe.
What gender is salute, and how can I tell?
Salute is a feminine singular noun. In Italian, nouns ending in -e can be masculine or feminine, so you must learn gender case by case. Here you pair salute with la.
If the veterinarian were a woman, how would the sentence change?

You would use the feminine form veterinaria and the matching article La:
La veterinaria controlla la salute dell’animale.

Can I use a different verb instead of controlla?

Yes. For example, esamina (examines) or verifica (verifies) are possible:
Il veterinario esamina la salute dell’animale.
Each carries a slightly different nuance (more formal or medical).

What is the standard word order, and can it change for emphasis?

The neutral order is Subject – Verb – Object – Prepositional Phrase:
Il veterinario (S) controlla (V) la salute (O) dell’animale (PP).
You can rearrange elements for emphasis, but that may sound marked or poetic.

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