Learn Hardcore Italian: Durante la tempesta il tetto ha perso alcune tegole. - During the storm the roof lost some tiles.

Durante is a preposition that must be followed by a noun (durante la tempesta = “during the storm”). Mentre is a conjunction that introduces a subordinate clause with a verb (Mentre imperversava la tempesta, il tetto ha perso alcune tegole = “While the storm was raging, the roof lost some tiles”).

Why is there a definite article before tempesta (“la tempesta”)?

In Italian you normally use the definite article with weather events introduced by durante, e.g. durante la pioggia, durante il vento, durante la tempesta. Omitting it (durante tempesta) would sound odd or poetic.

Why is the verb in the passato prossimo (ha perso) rather than the imperfetto?

The passato prossimo describes a specific, completed action in the past (“the roof lost some tiles”). The imperfetto (il tetto perdeva alcune tegole) would suggest an ongoing or habitual loss of tiles, which isn’t what happened here.

Why does perdere take avere as its auxiliary verb and not essere?

Perdere is a transitive verb (it takes a direct object: alcune tegole), so it forms the compound tenses with avere. You only use essere with verbs of movement or change of state that don’t take a direct object.

Could I say Il tetto ha perso delle tegole instead of alcune tegole? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say ha perso delle tegole.

delle = some (indefinite article + partitive)
alcune = some/few (indefinite adjective)
Both express an indefinite quantity, but alcune often hints at “a few” rather than an unspecified amount.

What about using qualche tegola? Is that possible?

Yes: Il tetto ha perso qualche tegola.
Qualche is used only in the singular and means “some/a few.” It’s followed by a singular noun (tegola) but implies more than one.

Can I reorder the sentence and say Il tetto ha perso alcune tegole durante la tempesta?

Absolutely. Italian allows flexibility in placing adverbial phrases. Starting with Durante la tempesta emphasizes the time; putting it at the end makes the focus more on il tetto and le tegole.

Why does Italian say il tetto ha perso le tegole (“the roof lost the tiles”) rather than something like “the tiles fell off”?

Italian often personifies the host object with perdere (“to lose”) when parts detach: perdere i denti (to lose teeth), perdere le chiavi (to lose keys). You can also say le tegole sono cadute (“the tiles fell”), but that focuses on the tiles’ action rather than the roof’s condition.