Answers
Aug 19, 2014 - 09:42 AM
Ciao Momma Mia
The passato prossimo in Italian is normally translated with the English simple past, but sometimes it translates into the English present perfect.
The English present perfect is formed using "have" as an auxiliary + past participle of main verb:
- I have eaten
The passato prossimo in Italian is formed by using the auxiliaries "avere" or "essere" + past participle
- Ho mangiato = I ate or I have eaten
- Sono stato = I was or I have been
So the Italian passato prossimo is sometimes used where an English speaker would use a present perfect - which is what happened in this sentence here - but most of the time the best translation for the passato prossimo is the simple past in English. I hope this helps!
The passato prossimo in Italian is normally translated with the English simple past, but sometimes it translates into the English present perfect.
The English present perfect is formed using "have" as an auxiliary + past participle of main verb:
- I have eaten
The passato prossimo in Italian is formed by using the auxiliaries "avere" or "essere" + past participle
- Ho mangiato = I ate or I have eaten
- Sono stato = I was or I have been
So the Italian passato prossimo is sometimes used where an English speaker would use a present perfect - which is what happened in this sentence here - but most of the time the best translation for the passato prossimo is the simple past in English. I hope this helps!
Aug 19, 2014 - 07:48 PM
Reading your response I find it somewhat ironic that I'm trying to learn another language when I sometimes find myself struggling with English grammar, but yes your response was helpful! Thank you for taking the time to explain!
Mar 28, 2015 - 01:00 AM
Hi - I really have tried reading the response for this a million times. It's not sinking in. I'm in level 3 and I'm just not understanding when to use sono andata vs sono stata when the flashcards ask me to translate "I have been" or "I have already been"...(I realize I left out the gia here)...is the "already" making a change in andata vs stata?
If they were interchangeable (as I think the comment post was saying) then I would assume the flashcards would accept either version, but they don't.
Thanks for any further direction!
If they were interchangeable (as I think the comment post was saying) then I would assume the flashcards would accept either version, but they don't.
Thanks for any further direction!
Apr 02, 2015 - 07:51 AM
The difference is in the meaning of the verbs. Andare is "to go" and stare is, in this instance, "to be located". one implies a sense of movement and the other doesn't, or in other words, one is kinetic and the other is static, which, by the way, is one way to remember that stare does not imply movement. Consequently, there is no interchangeability here. The problem is with English, or rather the normal use of it. In you example, I have been is io sono stata.
Io sono andata is translated I went or I have gone. But in English these two statements are used interchangeably, even though they shouldn't be. "I have gone to" such and such is interpreted to be the same as "I have been to" such and such.
When using "already" in the sentence, it is not typically used in English with "went", but rather with "have gone", even though it may be referring to the simple past as opposed to the compound past. The same is true for "was" and "have been" One doesn't say, "I already was there"; rather, "I have already been there" even though without the "already" the statement might require only the simple past. I hope you find this helpful.
Io sono andata is translated I went or I have gone. But in English these two statements are used interchangeably, even though they shouldn't be. "I have gone to" such and such is interpreted to be the same as "I have been to" such and such.
When using "already" in the sentence, it is not typically used in English with "went", but rather with "have gone", even though it may be referring to the simple past as opposed to the compound past. The same is true for "was" and "have been" One doesn't say, "I already was there"; rather, "I have already been there" even though without the "already" the statement might require only the simple past. I hope you find this helpful.