Learn Italian: Abbiamo aggiunto qualche mela alla lista.

Abbiamo aggiunto qualche mela alla lista.

We added some apples to the list.

Breakdown of Abbiamo aggiunto qualche mela alla lista.

to the / at the (feminine singular)

qualche

some / a few

Questions & Answers about Abbiamo aggiunto qualche mela alla lista.

Why does the Italian sentence use the singular mela (apple) when the English translation says "some apples"?

This is the special rule for the word qualche (some). Even though it means "some" or "a few" of something, it must always be followed by a singular noun in Italian. So, qualche mela translates to "some apples".

How would this sentence change if I wanted to use the other word for "some" (alcuni / alcune)?

Unlike qualche, alcuni/e must be followed by a plural noun. Since mela is feminine, you would use the feminine plural alcune and change the noun to plural (mele). The sentence would become: Abbiamo aggiunto alcune mele alla lista.

What verb does aggiunto come from? It doesn't look regular.

You're right, it is an irregular past participle! It comes from the verb aggiungere (to add). It doesn't follow the regular -uto ending pattern for -ere verbs, so you just have to memorize that aggiunto means "added".

Why is it alla lista and not just a lista?