Learn Italian: Oggi Anna è triste perché ha la febbre. - Anna is sad today because she has a fever.

Oggi Anna è triste perché ha la febbre.

Anna is sad today because she has a fever.

Breakdown of Oggi Anna è triste perché ha la febbre.

Questions & Answers about Oggi Anna è triste perché ha la febbre.

Why do we say ha la febbre instead of ha una febbre?

In English, we say someone has a fever, but in Italian, it is standard to use the definite article la (the) for this illness. You are literally saying Anna has the fever.

Why do we use è (is) for triste but ha (has) for la febbre?

Emotions like being sad (triste) use the verb essere (to be), just like in English. However, as you are learning in this lesson, Italian uses the verb avere (to have) for physical conditions, sensations (like hunger), and illnesses.

Would triste change to trista since Anna is a woman?

No, adjectives that end in -e (like triste) are the same for both masculine and feminine subjects in the singular. If Marco were sad, he would also be triste. It only changes to an -i for plural subjects.

Why is there an accent mark on perché?

The accent mark tells you to stress that final vowel when speaking: per-CHE. Without it, you would naturally stress the first syllable. Also, perché is a very handy word because it means both 'because' and 'why' depending on the sentence!

Why isn't there a (she) before ?