Italian ramblings before I literally run for the bus.

[brinshannara]

I had an Italian composition due for today. Naturally, I started it at like, 2:30 this morning.

In reading it over this afternoon, I shocked the hell out of myself.

In French and Italian, and likely other latin languages, too, you have to accord things with gender and number. That's to say, you not only have to make sure the person knows the thing you're talking about is plural, but also that it's masculine or feminine.

Example:

I went -> Je suis allée -> Sono andata

When you read "I went", you don't know if "I" is male or female. In French and Italian, you know that.

In groups:

We went -> Nous sommes allées -> Sono andate

You know immediately in French and Italian that the "we" is a group comprised entirely of women.

It's handy.

I SUCK at the accords. Like, really. My entire life, I have sucked horribly at according things with gender and number.

Last night, at 2:30 in the morning, I did it properly no less than six times in my composition. Even in the past tense, when you don't always have to accord it, I DID IT PROPERLY.

Frankly, I'm stunned at my brilliance in the middle of the night. It made revising it a lot easier.

Okay, I must dash. Bus comes soon, then class, then back here for a nap, perhaps, before talking to P and watching Lost and writing.

Comments

[shiningmoon.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's one of those "the less you think about it, the better you are at it" sort of things. Like typing without looking at the keyboard. Once I consciously think about where my fingers are, I screw up. :)

[brinshannara]

It's either that, or years of French and now three semesters of Italian are finally paying off and sinking into this incredibly thick skull of mine! :)