Learn Italian: Entrambi i gemelli hanno gli occhi azzurri.

Entrambi i gemelli hanno gli occhi azzurri.

Both twins have blue eyes.

Breakdown of Entrambi i gemelli hanno gli occhi azzurri.

Questions & Answers about Entrambi i gemelli hanno gli occhi azzurri.

Why is there an i after entrambi? English just says both twins.

In Italian, entrambi (both) must always be followed by a definite article before the noun. You are literally saying both the twins (entrambi i gemelli). If you leave out the i, the phrase is grammatically incorrect.

Could I use tutti e due in this sentence instead?

Yes! You could say Tutti e due i gemelli hanno gli occhi azzurri. Just like entrambi, the phrase tutti e due requires the definite article (i) right after it. They mean exactly the same thing, though tutti e due is extremely common in everyday spoken Italian.

Why does the sentence use gli occhi instead of just occhi?

When describing physical characteristics and body parts, Italian almost always requires a definite article. Here, gli is the plural masculine article used before a noun starting with a vowel. Therefore, to have blue eyes translates to avere gli occhi azzurri.

Why use azzurri for blue eyes instead of blu?

In Italian, azzurro refers to a lighter sky blue, which is the standard color word for light human eyes. Blu refers to a darker navy blue. If you said someone had gli occhi blu, an Italian might picture a deep, unnatural dark blue! Notice too that azzurri ends in -i to agree with the plural masculine noun occhi.