Telling time.

This sentence appears in the Italian unit 2.18: È l’una e mezzo. But Gemini says that it is wrong (see below). Who is right?
 You've hit on a common point of confusion for Italian learners!

You are absolutely right that "mezza ora" means "half an hour." So logically, one might expect "é l'una e mezza ora" or "é l'una e mezzo." However, in the context of telling time, when you say "half past one" (or "one and a half"), the word "mezza" (feminine singular) is used, and it implicitly refers to "mezza ora" (half an hour) or more specifically "mezza giornata" (half a day, in the sense of a part of the day).

Here's why "é l'una e mezza" is correct and "é l'una e mezzo" is not:

* **Gender Agreement:** In Italian, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify (even if the noun is implied).
* **"Ora" is Feminine:** The word "ora" (hour) is feminine. When you say "half past one," you are essentially saying "one o'clock and a half *hour*." Even though "ora" isn't explicitly stated, "mezza" agrees with the implied feminine noun "ora."
* **"Mezzo" is Masculine:** "Mezzo" (masculine singular) would be used if the implied noun were masculine, for example, "mezzo chilo" (half a kilo) or "mezzo litro" (half a liter).

So, when you say "é l'una e mezza," you're effectively saying "it's one and a half [hour]," with "mezza" modifying the unspoken "ora."

Think of it like this:

* **L'una** (the one [hour]) - singular feminine
* **Mezza** (half [hour]) - singular feminine, agreeing with "l'una" or the implied "ora"

Therefore, "é l'una e mezza" is the grammatically correct way to say "it's half past one" in Italian.

Hi Michael,

Great question! You're absolutely right to double-check, this is a common point of confusion when learning Italian.

✅ The correct sentence is “È l’una e mezza.”

Here’s why:

“Ora” (hour) is a feminine noun.

When we say “mezza” (half), it agrees in gender with the implied word “ora.”

So, “È l’una e mezza” literally means “It’s one and a half [hour],” even though “ora” isn’t spoken.

🔁 Wrong version: “È l’una e mezzo”
This uses “mezzo” (masculine), which would only be correct if the implied noun were masculine (e.g. mezzo litro, mezzo chilo).

So yes, Rocket Italian is correct, “mezza” must agree with the feminine noun “ora.” 😊

Let me know if you want more examples on telling time!

– Enxhi, Rocket Italian Tutor