Breakdown of I miei fratelli non sanno nuotare.
non
not
il fratello
the brother
mio
my
sapere
to know
nuotare
to swim
Questions & Answers about I miei fratelli non sanno nuotare.
Why is there no Italian word for "how to" in this sentence?
What is the base form of sanno?
sanno is the "they" form of the irregular verb sapere. Because it is irregular, its forms do not follow the normal pattern for verbs ending in -ere and simply have to be memorized.
Why do we need the article I in I miei fratelli?
Italian usually requires a definite article (like the word "the") before a possessive word. You might remember that singular family members are a special exception (you just say mio fratello without "il"), but plural family members follow the normal rule. Because you are talking about multiple brothers, you must include the i to say i miei fratelli.
Why does nuotare end in -are instead of matching the "they" subject?
nuotare (to swim) is in its base, dictionary form (the infinitive). When two verbs are paired together to express a single idea, only the first verb (sanno) changes to match the subject. The second verb always stays in its infinitive form.
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