Breakdown of La storia della nostra famiglia risale a nostro nonno, tuttavia non conosciamo l'antenato.
non
not
di
of, from
la famiglia
family
il nonno
grandfather / grandparents (plural)
nostro
our
a
to / at
la storia
history
conoscere
to meet, to know
tuttavia
however
risalire
to go back
l'antenato
ancestor
Questions & Answers about La storia della nostra famiglia risale a nostro nonno, tuttavia non conosciamo l'antenato.
Why use tuttavia here instead of eppure?
Why is there no article before nostro nonno, but we say della nostra famiglia?
In Italian, singular close family members drop the definite article when paired with a possessive adjective, which is why it is just nostro nonno. However, the word famiglia (family) is a collective noun, not a specific relative, so it keeps the article. That is why di + la combines into della.
Where does the word risale come from?
It is the present tense form of the verb risalire, which means to go back or to date back. When tracing history, origins, or timelines, it is always paired with the preposition a, exactly like saying dates back to in English.
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