tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31258560.post115662622961554221..comments2007-11-29T14:39:02.650-05:00Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11185922006807494420noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31258560.post-22339476738271721022007-11-29T14:39:02.650-05:002007-11-29T14:39:02.650-05:00Hi John,<BR/><BR/>I corrected my typo:<BR/><BR/>Vi fate i regali per Natale?<BR/><I>Are you exchanging gifts with each other for Christmas?</I><BR/><BR/>In English, we often omit the 'each other', but in Italian, when the action is shared among two or more people and re-directed amongst them, then the reciprocal should be used.<BR/><BR/>Take for instance, this examples:<BR/><BR/>We love each other.<BR/>Ci amiamo.<BR/><BR/>Also, consider the difference between these two phrases:<BR/><BR/>Parlano al ristorante prima di andare al cinema.<BR/><I>They are talking at the restaurant before going to the cinema.</I><BR/><BR/>Si parlano al ristorante prima di andare al cinema.<BR/><I>They are talking to each other at the restaurant before going to the cinema.</I><BR/><BR/>Notice the difference between the two? Use of the reciprocal pronoun (si), provides greater detail. In the first example, it is known that they are talking, but it is assumed that they are talking to each other, but that may not be the case.<BR/><BR/>Remember that reciprocals <B>can only be used</B> in the first, second and third person plural (ci, vi, si).Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12496674771496441841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31258560.post-20888267474120513192007-11-29T12:54:00.000-05:002007-11-29T12:54:00.000-05:00The second example <BR/>Vi fate i regali per Natale? = Are we exchanging gifts for Christmas?confuses me, the english verb seems to be 1st person plural, the italian one 2nd plural. I can't even think in english how to make an example of reciprocal constructions.Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05046275243939463018noreply@blogger.com