Learn Italian: Questo pigiama è comodo, se lo tiene. - These pajamas are comfortable, he keeps them for himself.

Questo pigiama è comodo, se lo tiene.

These pajamas are comfortable, he keeps them for himself.

Breakdown of Questo pigiama è comodo, se lo tiene.

Questions & Answers about Questo pigiama è comodo, se lo tiene.

Wait, pigiama ends in -a. Why is it questo pigiama and comodo instead of questa and comoda?

Even though it ends in -a, pigiama is a masculine noun, which is common for words imported from other languages. Therefore, it takes masculine adjectives and pronouns, like questo and comodo.

Why does the Italian sentence use singular words (questo, lo) when the English translation says "these pajamas" and "them"?

In English, "pajamas" is always plural, just like "pants" or "glasses". In Italian, a single pair of pajamas is a singular noun: il pigiama. Because it is singular, the sentence uses questo, comodo, and the singular pronoun lo to refer back to it.

How does the combined pronoun se lo work here?

It combines the reflexive pronoun si (for himself) and the direct object pronoun lo (it, referring to the pajamas). When si is placed right before a direct object pronoun like lo, it changes its vowel and becomes se.

What is the difference in meaning between lo tiene and se lo tiene?