ELONIO
Log inSign up

Torino, capitale del nord, ha molti palazzi antichi.

Torino, capitale del nord, ha molti palazzi antichi.
Turin, the capital of the north, has many ancient palaces.
From Lesson 461:Dropping articles in appositives (Roma, capitale...)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Torino, capitale del nord, ha molti palazzi antichi.

Why is it just capitale del nord and not la capitale del nord?
In Italian, when you place a descriptive noun phrase right after a proper noun to define or introduce it (known as an apposition), you must drop the definite article. While English says "Turin, the capital", Italian simply says Torino, capitale.
Since we dropped the article before capitale, why do we still use del (di + il) instead of just di before nord?
Compass directions like nord require the definite article when they refer to a specific geographical region. Because it refers to "the north", it takes the article il, which combines with di to form the articulated preposition del.
Does palazzi always mean "palaces" in the royal sense?
Not necessarily! While it translates to "palaces" here to describe historic mansions, palazzo is a famous false friend. In modern Italian, it usually just means a multi-story building, an apartment block, or an office building. A true royal residence is more often called a reggia.
Why does antichi have an 'h' in it?
The singular masculine adjective is antico, which ends in a hard "c" sound (like a "k"). To keep that same hard "c" sound in the masculine plural before the vowel "i", Italian adds an "h". Without the "h", the word would be pronounced with a soft "ch" sound.

Learn Torino, capitale del nord, ha molti palazzi antichi 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 →