Breakdown of Il cane corre intorno a casa.
il cane
the dog
correre
to run
la casa
the house
intorno a
around
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Questions & Answers about Il cane corre intorno a casa.
What does Il mean, and why is it used here?
Il is the masculine singular definite article in Italian, equivalent to the in English. It’s used before masculine nouns beginning with a consonant. Since cane (dog) is a masculine singular noun, we say il cane = the dog.
Why is cane masculine when it ends in -e?
In Italian, nouns ending in -e can be either masculine or feminine, and you often have to learn the gender with the word. Cane happens to be masculine, which you can see from its article il (not la).
What role does corre play in this sentence?
Corre is the third-person singular present indicative of the verb correre (to run). So il cane corre means “the dog runs” or “the dog is running.”
What is intorno a, and how do I translate it?
Intorno a is a compound preposition meaning around. It literally combines intorno (around, surroundings) with a (to). Together they express movement around something.
Why is there no article before casa, and could I say intorno alla casa?
After intorno a, you can drop the article if you mean “around (one’s) house” in a general or familiar sense: intorno a casa = “around the house/home.” If you want to refer to a specific house, you use the article: intorno alla casa = “around the house.”
Can I say Il cane sta correndo intorno a casa instead?
Yes. Sta correndo is the present progressive of correre and emphasizes that the action is happening right now. So Il cane sta correndo intorno a casa = “The dog is running around the house.”