Question 1

How would this sentence look in indirect speech if we are reporting that the witness had heard the shots?

Accepted Answer

Since this lesson covers shifting from the past (passato prossimo) to the remote past (trapassato prossimo), let's imagine the original event was already in the past: Il testimone ha sentito due colpi. To report this later, you shift the tense one step further back: Hanno detto che il testimone aveva sentito due colpi (They said the witness had heard two shots).

Question 2

If the witness is a woman, does testimone become testimona?

Accepted Answer

No, testimone is an invariable noun, meaning the word itself doesn't change its ending to match gender. To show that the witness is female, you simply change the article: la testimone.

Question 3

I usually translate colpo as a 'blow' or 'hit'. Can it also mean 'shot'?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Colpo is a very flexible word in Italian. Depending on the context, it can mean a physical blow, a sudden event like a stroke of luck (colpo di fortuna), or a gunshot (colpo di pistola, or simply colpo when the context is clear).

Question 4

Why does the sentence use nella notte instead of di notte?

Accepted Answer

You use di notte to talk about things that happen habitually at night (for example, 'I work at night'). Here, nella notte (in + la + notte) is used because it refers to one specific, particular night when the shots rang out.

Il testimone sente due colpi nella notte.

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