collega femminille

You are my colleague (S-F) translates to : 
Lei è il mio collega

Ma perchè no Lei è la mia collega?

Grazie:)

Hi Anne-elisabethT!

You're right: Lei è la mia collega is also a perfectly correct way of saying “You are my colleague,” provided that the colleague you are speaking to is a woman. The masculine version (Lei è il mio collega, for speaking to a man) is just required in the activities for this lesson (e.g. Flashcards, Know It!, etc.) because that's the version that was used as an example in the lesson itself. 

If you're unsure which gender is required for an activity question, you can always keep an eye out for any gender notations on the phrase. If the gender required is feminine, then there will be a little “FEM” notation visible in the upper right corner to let you know this. (Masculine is the default gender in the course, so if there is no notation visible, then you can safely assume that you are expected to provide a masculine noun or adjective in your answer.)

I hope that this makes sense, and helps to clear everything up! Do let me know if you still have any questions.

Kind regards,

Liss

Thank you,- it was actually marked as Feminille in the exercise:) (S-F)

Hi again Anne-elisabethT,

Ah, I see what you mean! The notation "S-F" actually stands for "Singular-Formal"; it's in this sentence to let you know that the type of “you” required is the singular, formal “you,” Lei. The notation to indicate that something is feminine is “FEM.”

It can take a little while to become familiar with all of the notations that are used in the course. However, if you mouse over them (on desktop) or tap on them (on the app), you'll find a little information bubble that will explain what the notation means.

I hope this helps! 

Kind regards,

Liss