La parola “amica” ha tre sillabe.

The word “amica” has three syllables.

Breakdown of La parola “amica” ha tre sillabe.

• avere: to have
• tre: three
• la sillaba: the syllable
• la parola “amica”: the word “amica”

Questions & Answers about La parola “amica” ha tre sillabe.

Why is it la parola and not il parola?

Because parola is a feminine noun in Italian, so it takes the feminine singular definite article la.

• la parola = the word
• il libro = the book (masculine example)

In Italian, articles must agree with the gender and number of the noun.

Why is amica set off as a word inside the sentence?

Because the sentence is talking about the word amica itself, not using it in its normal meaning.

In English, we often do the same thing:

• The word friend has one syllable.

In Italian:

• La parola amica ha tre sillabe.

Writers often use quotation marks or italics for this, but the important idea is that amica is being mentioned as a word.

What does ha mean here?

Ha means has. It is the third-person singular form of the verb avere (to have).

So:

• la parola ... ha tre sillabe = the word ... has three syllables

This is a very common use of avere in Italian.

Why does Italian use ha (has) instead of something like is?