Question 1

Why do we use both non and neppure in the second half of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

In Italian, when a negative word like neppure (not even) comes after the verb (mangio), you must put non before the verb. It is a double negative, but it is grammatically required! If you moved the negative word before the verb, you would drop the non, but here it sits after the verb.

Question 2

Could I use neanche or nemmeno instead of neppure here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely. Neanche, nemmeno, and neppure all mean "not even" and are practically interchangeable. You could just as easily say non lo mangio nemmeno cotto or non lo mangio neanche cotto.

Question 3

In English we usually say "the fish tastes strange." Why does Italian use ha un sapore strano?

Accepted Answer

Italian doesn't have a direct verb equivalent for "to taste" when describing how food is. Instead, you say that the food "has a flavor" (ha un sapore). So, "it tastes strange" translates literally to "it has a strange flavor."

Question 4

Why is lo placed where it is in non lo mangio?

Accepted Answer

Lo means "it" and refers back to il pesce (the fish). In Italian, direct object pronouns like lo generally go right before the conjugated verb. When you make the sentence negative, the order is always non + pronoun + verb.

Question 5

Does cotto change if I am talking about a feminine word, like la carne (the meat)?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Cotto (cooked) acts as an adjective here, describing the fish. If you were talking about la carne, you would need to change both the pronoun and the ending of the adjective to match the feminine noun: non la mangio neppure cotta.

Il pesce ha un sapore strano; non lo mangio neppure cotto.

Breakdown of Il pesce ha un sapore strano; non lo mangio neppure cotto.

Questions & Answers about Il pesce ha un sapore strano; non lo mangio neppure cotto.

Learn Il pesce ha un sapore strano; non lo mangio neppure cotto and more in Italian