Breakdown of Trovo un’altra mela in giardino.
io
I
trovare
to find
in
in
il giardino
the garden
la mela
the apple
un’altra
another
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Questions & Answers about Trovo un’altra mela in giardino.
Why is there no subject pronoun in the sentence?
Italian often drops the subject pronoun when the verb ending makes the subject clear. Here trovo is first-person singular, so io (“I”) is understood without being written.
What does trovo mean and what tense is it?
Trovo is the first-person singular present indicative of trovare, meaning “I find.”
Why is it written un’altra with an apostrophe?
The feminine indefinite article una drops its final a before another vowel-starting word. The apostrophe in un’altra shows this elision of una + altra.
Why is it un’altra instead of un altro?
Because mela is feminine. You must match gender: un’altra mela (“another apple”). If the noun were masculine (e.g. libro), you’d say un altro libro.
Why is there no definite article before giardino? Shouldn’t it be in il giardino?
In fixed expressions of location like in giardino (“in the garden”), Italian often omits the article. You can say nel giardino for “in the (specific) garden,” but in giardino is more general.
How would you express “I found another apple” in the past tense?
Use the passato prossimo: Ho trovato un’altra mela in giardino.
Can the word order change in this sentence?
Yes. Italian allows flexibility for emphasis. You could say In giardino trovo un’altra mela to focus on the location first.
How would you say “other apples” (plural)?
Use the feminine plural: altre mele.
How is un’altra pronounced?
It’s pronounced [unˈaltra]. The apostrophe doesn’t add a sound; it just marks the missing a from una.