Breakdown of Non possiamo tollerare una tale arroganza.
una
a / an (feminine)
non
not
potere
can, to be able to
tale
such a / a certain
tollerare
to tolerate (allow, permit)
l'arroganza
the arrogance (f)
Questions & Answers about Non possiamo tollerare una tale arroganza.
Why is there an article (una) before tale here? In English, we just say 'such arrogance'.
In Italian, when tale means 'such' or 'of that kind' and modifies a noun, it is very common to use the indefinite article (un, uno, una, un') before it, even with abstract nouns like arroganza. You can think of una tale arroganza as meaning 'an arrogance of such a degree'.
Can I put tale after the noun, like un'arroganza tale?
Yes, you can. Placing tale after the noun is perfectly correct and often adds a bit more emphasis to the intensity, similar to saying 'arrogance of such a magnitude'. However, putting it before the noun, as in una tale arroganza, is the most standard word order.
If we were talking about 'such behaviors' in the plural, how would tale change?
Tale is an adjective ending in -e, so it changes to -i in the plural for both masculine and feminine nouns. 'Such behaviors' would be tali comportamenti. Notice that the indefinite article is dropped in the plural.
Learn Non possiamo tollerare una tale arroganza 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