Breakdown of Lei è un'amica italiana.
essere
to be
lei
she
una
a / an (feminine)
italiano
Italian
l'amica
the female friend
Questions & Answers about Lei è un'amica italiana.
Why is there an apostrophe in un'amica?
un' is short for una. When a feminine word starts with a vowel, like amica, the una drops its -a and gets an apostrophe so the two vowel sounds don't crash into each other.
Would we still use an apostrophe if the friend was male?
No, a male friend is un amico. The masculine word for "a" or "an" is just un, and it never takes an apostrophe. The apostrophe only happens when the feminine una gets shortened.
Why does italiana come after the word for friend?
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