la/le direct pronoun

Thosbryan

Thosbryan

September 7, 2011

In the section Direct and Indirect pronouns there is an example: "Mark asks her a favor". This is translated as "Marco le chiede un favore." Why isn't this "la chiede" as it pertains to "her" and not a plural "they" which would call for the "le".
Maria-DiLorenzi

Maria-DiLorenzi

September 8, 2011

Ciao Bryan, the use of pronouns sometimes can be tricky. In this particular case you need to be aware that "to ask somebody a favor" in Italian will be translated as "chiedere una favore a qualcuno" (to ask a favor to somebody). So you should ask youself the question: to whom does Mark ask a favor? Therefore you will need to use the indirect object pronoun. The sentence "Marco le chiede un favore" will be literally translated as "Mark asks to her a favor" Please let me know if you are still confused. Buono studio :)

Want to post a comment? Just sign up for a free Rocket Languages trial

Select one of the languages below and sign up in 60 seconds. Join our user forum and experience Rocket Languages for yourself!

Let's get you talking in Italian.

We love Italian people and Italian culture - from ancient amphitheaters and sunny vineyards to delicious pastas and captivating music! And there's no better way to connect with them than by learning l'italiano.

No credit card required

or