Learn Italian: Dobbiamo dividere la bolletta del gas.

Dobbiamo dividere la bolletta del gas.

We must divide the gas bill.

Breakdown of Dobbiamo dividere la bolletta del gas.

Questions & Answers about Dobbiamo dividere la bolletta del gas.

Why use bolletta for "bill" instead of conto?

In Italian, bolletta is specifically used for utility bills, like gas, electricity, or water. If you are paying for a meal at a restaurant or a drink at a bar, you use il conto instead.

Why is there no connecting word between dobbiamo and dividere?

Dobbiamo (we must) is a form of the modal verb dovere. In Italian, modal verbs are followed directly by the infinitive form of the next verb (dividere) without needing a preposition like a or di in between.

Where does the word del come from before gas?

Del is an articulated preposition. It merges the word di (of) with the masculine singular article il (the). So la bolletta del gas literally translates to "the bill of the gas".

This lesson is about independent possessive pronouns. How would we say "The gas bill is ours" if we wanted to use one?

You would say "La bolletta del gas è nostra." Here, nostra (ours) acts as an independent possessive pronoun because it stands on its own without a noun right after it. In our actual example sentence, Italian simply leaves the ownership out completely because it is already obvious from the "we" verb dobbiamo.