Breakdown of Spedisci la lettera oggi?
Questions & Answers about Spedisci la lettera oggi?
Why is there an "isc" in the middle of "Spedisci"?
Spedisci comes from the verb spedire (to send). Many verbs ending in -ire need the extra letters -isc- inserted between the root (sped-) and the ending for the forms I, you, he/she/it, and they. Since this is the informal "you" form, the normal ending is -i, making it sped-isc-i. How do you pronounce the "sci" part of "Spedisci"?
When s, c, and i come together in Italian, they make a "sh" sound, exactly like the English word "she". So, spedisci is pronounced "speh-DEE-shee". The English translation says "Do you send", but there is no word for "Do" in the Italian sentence. Why?
Italian doesn't use helper verbs like "do" or "does" to ask questions. You just take the regular statement (Spedisci la lettera oggi - You send the letter today) and add a question mark, raising your pitch at the end when speaking. Where is the word for "you" in this sentence?
It is built directly into the verb! The -i ending on spedisci tells us it means "you send" (the tu form). In Italian, you usually leave out the subject pronoun (tu) because the verb ending already makes it clear who is doing the action. Learn Spedisci la lettera oggi and more in Italian
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