Breakdown of Uso un coltello seghettato per tagliare la carne.
io
I
usare
to use
per
to
tagliare
to cut
il coltello
the knife
la carne
the meat
seghettato
serrated
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Italian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Uso un coltello seghettato per tagliare la carne.
What is the tense and person of uso?
Uso is the present indicative, first-person singular of the verb usare (to use). It means “I use.”
Why is un used instead of uno before coltello?
In Italian, un is the indefinite article for masculine nouns beginning with most consonants (like coltello). Uno is reserved for masculine nouns that start with s+consonant (e.g., uno studente), z (e.g., uno zero), gn, ps, x, or y.
Why does the adjective seghettato come after coltello?
Descriptive adjectives in Italian typically follow the noun they modify. Placing seghettato after coltello indicates its descriptive function (“a serrated knife”). While a few adjectives can precede the noun for stylistic reasons, most (especially longer or compound ones) follow it.
What does seghettato literally mean?
Seghettato derives from seghetta (a little saw). It literally means “sawed” or “having small saw-like teeth,” i.e. “serrated.”
Why is per used before tagliare?
Per + infinitive expresses purpose (“in order to …”). Here, per tagliare means “to cut” in the sense of “in order to cut.”
Why is it tagliare la carne and not tagliare il carne?
Carne is a feminine noun, so its definite article is la. Even after an infinitive, you use the appropriate article when referring to a specific or known item: la carne.
Can we omit the article and say tagliare carne instead of tagliare la carne?
Yes, omitting la makes it more general: tagliare carne means “to cut meat” in general. Including la gives a slightly more definite sense, like “to cut the meat (we have).”
What’s the difference between tagliare and affettare?
Tagliare means “to cut” in a broad sense. Affettare specifically means “to slice” (usually into thin, even pieces), as when slicing cold cuts or cheese.