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Questions & Answers about Il bambino solleva il coperchio.
Why is il used before bambino, and when would I choose un instead?
In Italian, singular nouns usually need an article. Il is the definite article meaning the for masculine nouns starting with a simple consonant. To say a child instead of the child you use the indefinite article un, as in un bambino.
Why is il coperchio used here instead of lo coperchio or la coperchio?
The noun coperchio is masculine and begins with a plain consonant c, so it takes the masculine singular definite article il. Lo appears before masculine nouns that start with z, s+consonant, gn, ps or pn. La is for feminine nouns.
What part of speech is solleva, and how is the verb sollevare conjugated in the present tense?
Solleva is the third person singular form (lui/lei) of the verb sollevare in the present indicative. Its full conjugation is
- io sollevo
- tu sollevi
- lui/lei solleva
- noi solleviamo
- voi sollevate
- loro sollevano
Why is the simple present solleva used instead of a continuous form like sta sollevando?
In Italian the simple present often covers both English simple and progressive aspects. Il bambino solleva il coperchio can mean The child lifts the lid or The child is lifting the lid depending on context. You would use sta sollevando when you want to emphasize that the action is happening right now and is still ongoing.
What is the difference between sollevare and alzare, and could I say alza il coperchio?
Both verbs mean to raise or lift, but alzare is more common in everyday speech while sollevare is slightly more formal or specific (lifting something from below). You can perfectly say Il bambino alza il coperchio and it sounds natural.
How would I turn this sentence into the plural form?
You change the noun endings, the articles and the verb to agree with a plural subject. It becomes I bambini sollevano i coperchi (bambino→bambini, coperchio→coperchi, il→i, solleva→sollevano).
How do I ask What does the child lift? in Italian?
You place the question word at the beginning. You can say Che cosa solleva il bambino? or more informally Cosa solleva il bambino? The structure is Question word verb subject.
How do I pronounce solleva and coperchio, and where is the stress?
- solleva: so-LLEH-va (stress on the second syllable; the double ll gives a longer l sound)
- coperchio: co-PER-kyo (stress on the second syllable; ch before i gives a hard k sound; io is pronounced like yo)