Stress / Accento Tonico
2 W: n7 l3 K; X. r Usually, Italian words are stressed on the next–to–the–last syllable.& G" P+ Y; K0 ?* d9 s. v
amico friend0 S$ Y/ u! n" G4 T% k
foglia leaf
% o/ f8 X6 G/ I4 `$ X& E( | Z Milano Milan
- b% E$ a. O/ Z, r9 l& Z nipote nephew& S( c2 q( f* r3 `1 X8 `6 Q* n
padre father
: u. u1 Q# o( |- b7 {& A! K# t parlare to speak
& l9 {8 C: U2 ^# j signorina Miss( q1 V1 j8 ^6 ^; o8 k3 q. z2 N
studiare to study
. \0 s) o( J$ N1 B) y telefonare to telephone2 L+ U. l) L Z' B! i$ \# m
uomo man! u; G" l0 y) v8 ^& e; @$ \
When the final –e is dropped from a word, as happens with some masculine titles when they are directly followed by a proper name, the position of the stress remains unchanged.; L& K; z- [8 i3 _( O U. n
dottore doctor
( `- G7 H# [% ]- ?9 G dottor Nardi Doctor Nardi$ o( ?6 y( }4 E' p" r
professore professor3 q i3 \" w1 t M _; S: x# l
professor Pace professor Pace% ~5 g5 A. l$ C, X! j
When words are stressed on the last vowel, they always have a written accent over that vowel- x" }; W# e& G, F
cioè namely
: p* J! H* z( Y, r8 P città city7 f; }3 u& W* Z* {; M
perchè because
! g/ m+ F+ Z2 F; k però however
! u/ s( _' _7 c; i5 }4 m tassì taxi+ Q* i; J! \3 L, @( ~8 r' N
università university
- Q) Q% o. w/ l2 u% z) ^ venerdì Friday( t- L) H+ i7 L0 z
virtù virtue, s3 i# M K; \) Z5 \
It is useful to remember that open e and o occur only in stressed syllables.
* ] c3 I0 b6 R* v& H2 O; m automobile automobile9 L/ k0 L2 F# L- U# D
medico physician6 j/ w# F) S# O# l3 j$ C
nobile noble4 Q) ~/ ^ u8 ]0 B4 K
telefono telephone
& U3 m& ` o/ L- W* x( Z, I Note: The written accent is used with a few monosyllables in order to distinguish them from others that have the same spelling but a different meaning.
4 w5 i: F+ i! Y dà gives, R! f0 F# T! N3 @
da from
( {" K, o1 n/ ?3 [ è is
. n. n* p6 m) L1 k9 L e and, E" n( \! j9 n; I
là there
( w% t# W3 r# ]: Q la the; it; her
_( G" ^/ T* k" D4 M5 L né nor
: [& R6 S2 g) N; o& T ne some, Q0 Y% I8 B# N
sé himself, herself
4 r% \% P. A5 s+ m: Q se if* W. Q3 n5 V$ g4 v
sì yes
$ Z" A5 V5 K$ i6 b& a s si oneself |