Log inSign up

Il bambino ha la febbre e ha molto sonno.

Il bambino ha la febbre e ha molto sonno.
The child has a fever and is very sleepy.
From Lesson 24:Idiomatic avere (avere fame, avere anni)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Il bambino ha la febbre e ha molto sonno.

Why does the Italian sentence use ha (has) instead of the verb for 'to be' to mean 'is sleepy'?
In English, we use 'to be' for physical states like being hungry, thirsty, or sleepy. Italian uses avere (to have) plus a noun. So instead of saying someone 'is sleepy', Italians say they hanno sonno (literally: 'have sleep').
If sonno is a noun meaning 'sleep', why is molto translated as 'very' instead of 'a lot of'?
Because sonno is a noun, the Italian phrase literally means 'has much sleep' or 'has a lot of sleep'. We translate it as 'is very sleepy' because that is the most natural way to express the exact same idea in English.
Why does it say la febbre ('the fever') when the English translation says 'a fever'?
When talking about common ailments and illnesses like a fever, a headache, or a cold, Italian usually uses the definite article (la or il). So the phrase 'to have a fever' is always avere la febbre.
Do I need to repeat ha after the word e (and)?
You don't strictly have to. It is perfectly fine to say ha la febbre e molto sonno. However, repeating the verb ha is very common in everyday Italian because it sounds natural and emphasizes that the child is experiencing both of these conditions.

Learn Il bambino ha la febbre e ha molto sonno and more in Italian

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Italian →