{"id":15708,"date":"2023-05-02T12:23:11","date_gmt":"2023-05-02T10:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oneworlditaliano.com\/?p=15708"},"modified":"2023-07-17T14:23:45","modified_gmt":"2023-07-17T12:23:45","slug":"apostrophe-italian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oneworlditaliano.com\/en\/italian-grammar\/how-do-you-spell-that\/apostrophe-italian\/","title":{"rendered":"The apostrophe in Italian"},"content":{"rendered":"

The apostrophe<\/strong> is a graphic sign (‘) which in Italian is used to indicate:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. the dropping of the final vowel of the word when followed by a word starting with a vowel (elision);<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. the cancellation of the vowel, consonant or syllable at the end of the word (truncation).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    1. In the first case, the apostrophe is mandatory with:<\/h3>\n
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    • the definite articles la<\/em> and lo<\/em> and the articulated prepositions della<\/em> and dello<\/em> followed by a vowel:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      l’<\/span>amica, l’<\/span>animale, dell’<\/span>uomo, dell’<\/span>orchestra;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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      • the feminine indefinite article una<\/em> and the indefinite pronouns qualcuna <\/em> and nessuna <\/em> followed by a vowel<\/span>:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        un’<\/span>amica, un’<\/span>opera,\u00a0qualcun’<\/span>altra, nessun’<\/span>altra;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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        • the demonstrative adjective quello <\/em>and quella <\/em>followed by a vowel:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          quell’<\/span>albero, quell<\/span>‘immagine.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

          Warning:<\/strong> the apostrophe is NEVER used with the masculine indefinite article un<\/em>. You say un<\/span> amico, NOT <\/strong>un’amico. Even the indefinite pronouns qualcuno<\/em> and nessuno<\/em>, before the adverb<\/em> “altro” lose the final vowel but don’t take the apostrophe. We say qualcun<\/span> altro, nessun<\/span> altro and NOT<\/strong> qualcun’altro, nessun’altro.<\/span><\/p>\n

          2. In the second case, in Italian some words lose the final syllable.<\/h3>\n

          In these cases, the apostrophe is used to indicate truncation.<\/span><\/p>\n

          un poco<\/strong><\/span> = un po‘<\/span>,\u00a0vai<\/strong><\/span> = va‘<\/span>, fai <\/strong><\/span>= fa‘<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

          <\/h3>\n

          Fa e va, con o senza apostrofo e accento?<\/h3>\n