Breakdown of Il medico ha confermato la diagnosi.
il medico
the doctor
avere
to have
confermare
to confirm
la diagnosi
the diagnosis
Questions & Answers about Il medico ha confermato la diagnosi.
Why does diagnosi end in -i when it is a singular feminine noun?
Diagnosi is a noun of Greek origin. In Italian, many words borrowed from Greek that end in -i (like crisi, tesi, and analisi) are feminine. Unlike typical Italian feminine nouns that end in -a, these keep their -i ending. You can tell it is singular here because of the singular definite article la.
How would the sentence change if the doctor confirmed multiple diagnoses?
Since la diagnosi is feminine, why doesn't the verb change to confermata?
When forming the past tense with the helper verb avere (like ha), the past participle usually stays in its default -o ending (confermato). It only changes to match the gender and number of the object if you replace the object with a direct object pronoun and put it right before the verb. Since the full noun la diagnosi is written out after the verb here, there is no agreement.
Could I use il dottore instead of il medico in this sentence?
Yes, you could. Both words mean doctor, but there is a slight difference. Medico specifically refers to a medical professional or physician, which fits perfectly here. Dottore is the everyday term you would use to speak to a doctor, but it is also a general title for anyone who holds a university degree in Italy.
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