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Monday, March 14, 2011

Test your Italian articles

Articles are among the very first things you learn in Italian. So you think you know them perfectly? I double-dare you to get these ten questions right!

In the following, there may or may not be an article. Articles can be definite or indefinite, singular or plural, or attached to a preposition. Answers follow the quiz.

1. I've been living in Boston since 1996.

2. The US is smaller than Canada.

3. She's been living in Texas a long time.

4. It rains a lot in England.

5. He left his wife for another [woman].

6. She left her husband for another [man].

7. The tsunami devastated Japan.

8. I adore gnocchi.

9. Yoga isn't easy.

10. Cooking is fun.




Answers:

1. Abito a Boston dal 1996. [article il included in preposition; years take an article]

2. Gli USA sono piu' piccoli del Canada. [USA and Stati Uniti take a gli because they start with a vowel and st- respectively and are plural; Canada is masculine]

3. Abita nel Texas da molto tempo. [article il in preposition]

4. Piove molto in Inghilterra. [no article]

5. Ha lasciato la moglie per un'altra. [article with apostrophe before fem. word starting with vowel]

6. Ha lasciato il marito per un altro. [article but no apostrophe in front of masc. word starting with vowel]

7. Lo tsunami ha devastato il Giappone. [lo in front of "tsunami" as it is similar to a "z" sound; Japan is one of a minority of countries with a masculine article, like Canada and Mexico]

8. Adoro gli gnocchi. [lo/gli in front of gn]

9. Lo yoga non e' facile. [lo used in front of vowel sound]

10. Cucinare e' divertente. [no article in front of verbal noun; but could say la cucina]