ELONIO
Log inSign up

La stampa scrive delle elezioni e tutti ne discutono.

La stampa scrive delle elezioni e tutti ne discutono.
The press writes about the elections and everyone discusses it.
From Lesson 172:Topic pronoun (ne)·Italian

Questions & Answers about La stampa scrive delle elezioni e tutti ne discutono.

Why do we use ne here instead of a direct object pronoun like le to mean "them" or "it"?
In English, you "discuss" something directly. But in Italian, the verb is discutere di (to discuss about). Because the topic being discussed requires the preposition di (referring back to delle elezioni), you must use the pronoun ne to replace the whole phrase.
Could we have used sulle elezioni instead of delle elezioni for "about the elections"?
Yes, scrivere su (to write on/about) is also correct. However, using di (delle is di + le) is very common for introducing the topic of an article or conversation. Notice how it matches perfectly with the second half of the sentence, which uses ne to mean "about them".
Why is the verb discutono plural when the English translation says "everyone discusses" (singular)?
In Italian, the pronoun tutti literally translates to "all" and is always grammatically plural. Therefore, it requires the plural verb discutono. English treats "everyone" or "everybody" as a singular subject, which can be a tricky difference to remember at first!
I know stampa is related to printing, but does it mean "the press" as in the news media?
Yes, in this context, la stampa refers collectively to journalists and news organizations, exactly like "the press" in English. Keep in mind that even though it represents many people, it is a singular feminine noun, which is why it takes the singular verb scrive.

Learn La stampa scrive delle elezioni e tutti ne discutono and more in Italian

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Italian →