Breakdown of La storia della nostra famiglia risale a nostro nonno, tuttavia non conosciamo l'antenato.
non
not
di
of, from
la famiglia
the family
il nonno
the grandfather / the grandparents (plural)
nostro
our
a
to / at
la storia
the history
conoscere
to meet, to know
tuttavia
however
risalire
to go back
l'antenato
the ancestor (m)
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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