Answers
Apr 21, 2015 - 12:34 PM
When a masculine noun begins with a vowel sound, as "hotel" does in Italian (since the "H" is silent), you contract "il hotel" to "l'hotel". Does this answer your question?
Apr 27, 2015 - 10:02 PM
Wouldn't it actually be "Lo hotel" that is contracted to " l' hotel " and not from " il hotel? " It ends up being the same " l' hotel " but the root origins are different. I could be way off base, but I think this is what I've concluded. Thanks for your help.
Apr 28, 2015 - 06:27 AM
Words beginning with a vowel take the definite article L' . The letter H is always silent in Italian. Sonia explains in Level 1, Session 6 that because of this, the word "hotel" sounds as if it starts with a vowel. Therefore, the definite article is L' . This would be the case with all words beginning with H, though there aren't many of them. Whether the word is masculine or feminine is something you just have to memorize. (BTW - hotel is an English word that has found its way into the Italian lexicon. The actual Italian word for hotel is albergo. The hotel = L'albergo.)
Plurals work in the normal fashion. The hotels = Gli hotel
Plurals work in the normal fashion. The hotels = Gli hotel
Apr 28, 2015 - 08:57 AM
Yes, sorry. I should have proofread my comment. "Lo" not "il".