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Sai la risposta?

Sai la risposta?
Do you know the answer?
From Lesson 60:The verb to know (sapere)·Italian

Breakdown of Sai la risposta?

sapere
to know
la risposta
the answer

Questions & Answers about Sai la risposta?

Where does the word sai come from?
It is the "you" (singular, informal) form of the irregular verb sapere (to know). Regular -ere verbs usually drop the ending and add -i for "you", but sapere is irregular, so its forms (like so, sai, sa) just have to be memorized.
Why isn't there a word for "you" (like tu) in this sentence?
In Italian, you usually leave out the subject pronoun (like tu) because the verb form already tells us who is acting. Sai can only mean "you know," so adding tu is only done if you really want to emphasize it.
Could I use conosci instead of sai here?
Not in this case! Italian has two verbs for "to know." Sapere is used for knowing facts, information (like the answer to a question), or how to do something. Conoscere is used for being acquainted or familiar with a person, place, or complex topic.
How do we know this is a question like "Do you know..." instead of a statement?
Italian doesn't use helper words like "do" or "does" to make questions. The word order stays exactly the same as a statement (Sai la risposta). You just add a question mark in writing, or raise your voice at the end of the sentence when speaking.

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