Breakdown of Questa salsa è buona con il pollo.
Questions & Answers about Questa salsa è buona con il pollo.
Why is it questa and not questo?
Why is it buona and not buono?
Why does è have an accent?
Why is there il in con il pollo?
Italian often uses the definite article where English may not.
So although English says with chicken, Italian naturally says con il pollo.
Here, il pollo means the chicken, but in context it often has a more general sense, like with chicken dishes or with chicken as a food.
This is very common in Italian:
Could I say col pollo instead of con il pollo?
Why is con used here? Could I use per instead?
Con means with, so it expresses that the sauce goes well together with chicken.
- buona con il pollo = good with chicken
Per usually means for, so it would change the meaning:
- una salsa per il pollo = a sauce for chicken / a sauce intended for chicken
So:
- è buona con il pollo = it tastes good when eaten with chicken
- è una salsa per il pollo = it is a sauce meant for chicken
They are related, but not identical.
Can buona mean both good and tasty here?
Is the word order fixed, or can it change?
The standard order here is:
So Questa salsa è buona con il pollo is the most natural neutral order.
You can sometimes move things around for emphasis, but that is less neutral. For example:
- Con il pollo, questa salsa è buona.
This sounds more marked, as if you are emphasizing with chicken specifically.
For a learner, the original word order is the safest choice.
How do you pronounce questa salsa è buona con il pollo?
Why is pollo masculine?
Could I omit questa and just say La salsa è buona con il pollo?
Yes. That would also be correct, but the meaning changes slightly.
- Questa salsa è buona con il pollo. = This sauce is good with chicken.
- La salsa è buona con il pollo. = The sauce is good with chicken.
Questa points to a specific sauce, often one near you or one already being discussed.
La salsa just refers to the sauce more generally or to a known sauce in the conversation.
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