Breakdown of Qual è la tariffa per consegnare la merce?
essere
to be
per
for / in order to / because of
consegnare
to deliver
quale
which (singular / plural: quali)
la merce
the goods / the merchandise
la tariffa
the rate (fee, fare)
Questions & Answers about Qual è la tariffa per consegnare la merce?
This lesson is about the rate-marking preposition a. Why do we use per here instead of a?
We use per because it introduces an action with a purpose: 'in order to deliver'. The rate-marking a is used to express units of measurement or time before a noun, like al chilo (per kilo). If you wanted to say 'the rate per delivery' using a noun instead of a verb, you would use a and say la tariffa a consegna.
Why is there no apostrophe in Qual è?
It is a very common mistake for both learners and native speakers to write Qual'è, but it is grammatically incorrect. Qual is a recognized standalone word (a naturally truncated form of quale), so it does not trigger an apostrophe before a vowel.
Why is merce singular when the English translation says 'the goods'?
Could I use il tasso instead of la tariffa to say 'the rate'?
No, because they refer to entirely different kinds of rates. La tariffa is a set price or fee for a service, like a delivery, a hotel room, or a taxi ride. Il tasso refers to a mathematical percentage or statistical rate, such as il tasso di interesse (the interest rate) or il tasso di disoccupazione (the unemployment rate).
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