Breakdown of Vorrei i cataloghi di questi nuovi autori.
nuovo
new
questo
this (masculine)
di
of, from
volere
to want
il catalogo
the catalogue
l'autore
the author
Questions & Answers about Vorrei i cataloghi di questi nuovi autori.
Why is the plural of catalogo spelled cataloghi? Doesn't the rule say we drop the 'h' if the stress is on the third-to-last syllable?
You are remembering the general rule correctly! Usually, masculine nouns ending in -co or -go that are stressed on the third-to-last syllable (like psicologo) form the plural without an 'h' (like psicologi). However, catalogo (ca-TA-lo-go) is one of the most common exceptions. It keeps the hard 'g' sound in the plural, so we must add an 'h' to make cataloghi. Another very similar exception is dialogo, which becomes dialoghi.
Is vorrei the standard present tense for 'I want'?
No, vorrei means 'I would like' and is the conditional tense of the verb volere (to want). The standard present tense for 'I want' is voglio. Just like in English, it is considered much more polite to use the conditional vorrei when asking for something, such as requesting a catalogue in a shop or library.
Could I say autori nuovi instead of nuovi autori?
Yes, but placing nuovo before or after the noun slightly changes the nuance. Placing it before the noun (nuovi autori) usually means they are 'new to me' or 'newly added' to this specific catalogue. Placing it after the noun (autori nuovi) emphasizes the literal, objective quality of being new—meaning these are brand new authors who just started their writing careers.
Why do we use questi here instead of queste?
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