\n
In Italian, we have fixed rules for the pronunciation of letters which, once learnt, make it much easier to understand the relationship between written and spoken language. Unfortunately, the same is not true for accents. Although there are rules for where accents fall in verbs there are also lots<\/u> of exceptions. As for nouns, adjectives, and so on there are no rules, and these have to be learnt by heart.\u00a0 Let\u2019s have a look at the rules and exceptions for verbs (N.B. I have highlighted accents in red<\/span>):<\/p>\n The accent falls on the penultimate syllable in:<\/u><\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>all infinitives<\/u> ending in \u2013are (e.g. mangi<\/span>a<\/span>re <\/strong>= to eat, anda<\/span>re <\/strong>= to go), all infinitives ending\u00a0 in \u2013ire (e.g. senti<\/span>re <\/strong>= to hear, fini<\/span>re <\/strong>= to finish), and most infinitives ending in \u2013ere (e.g. cade<\/span>re <\/strong>= to fall, vede<\/span>re <\/strong>= to see). However<\/em>, there are numerous verbs in \u2013ere which have the accent on the third syllable counting from the end (e.g. ce<\/span>dere <\/strong>= to give up, chie<\/span>dere <\/strong>= to ask). This is due to the fact that in Latin there were originally two distinctive groups of verbs in \u2013ere.<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> all the gerunds<\/u> (e.g. vede<\/span>ndo <\/strong>= seeing, mangia<\/span>ndo <\/strong>= eating), and all the present and past participles<\/u> (e.g. cade<\/span>nte <\/strong>= falling, cadu<\/span>to <\/strong>= fallen, precede<\/span>nte <\/strong>= preceding, precedu<\/span>to <\/strong>= preceded)<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>the future tense<\/u>, with the exception of the<\/span> first and third persons singular<\/span><\/em> where the accent falls on the last syllable and is always marked<\/span> (e.g. sentir\u00f2<\/span><\/strong> = I\u2019ll hear<\/span>, sentira<\/span>i<\/strong> = you\u2019ll hear, sentir\u00e0<\/span><\/strong> = he\/she\u2019ll hear<\/span>, sentire<\/span>mo<\/strong> = we\u2019ll hear, sentire<\/span>te<\/strong> = you\u2019ll hear, sentira<\/span>nno<\/strong> = they\u2019ll hear)<\/p>\n 4.<\/strong> the imperfect tense<\/u>, with the exception of the third person plural <\/span><\/em>(e.g. cade<\/span>vo<\/strong> =\u00a0<\/em>I fell, cade<\/span>vi<\/strong> = you fell, cade<\/span>va<\/strong> = he\/she fell, cadeva<\/span>mo<\/strong> = we fell, cadeva<\/span>te<\/strong> = you fell, cade<\/span>vano<\/strong> = they fell<\/span>)<\/p>\n 5. <\/strong>the conditional<\/u>, with the exception of the third person plural <\/span><\/em>(e.g. finire<\/span>i<\/strong> = I would finish, finire<\/span>sti<\/strong> = you would finish, finire<\/span>bbe<\/strong> = he\/she would finish, finire<\/span>mmo<\/strong> = we would finish, finire<\/span>ste<\/strong> = you would finish, finire<\/span>bbero<\/strong> = they would finish<\/span>)<\/p>\n 6. <\/strong>in the imperfect subjunctive<\/u>, with the exception of the first and third persons plural<\/span><\/em> where the accent falls on the third syllable from the end (e.g. chiede<\/span>ssi<\/strong> = I may have asked, chiede<\/span>ssi<\/strong> = you may have asked, chiede<\/span>sse<\/strong> = he\/she may have asked, chiede<\/span>ssimo<\/strong> = we may have asked<\/span>, chiede<\/span>ste<\/strong> = you may have asked, chiede<\/span>ssero<\/strong> = they may have asked<\/span>)<\/p>\n I haven\u2019t mentioned the most common tenses, the present, the imperative, and the present subjunctive, for a reason: there are more exceptions. Let\u2019s see:<\/p>\n in the present, imperative, present subjunctive tense the accent generally<\/em> falls on the penultimate syllable<\/u>, with the exception of third person plural<\/span><\/em> where the accent falls on the third syllable from the end (e.g. asco<\/span>lto<\/strong> = I listen, asco<\/span>lti<\/strong> = you listen, asco<\/span>lta<\/strong> = he\/she listens, ascoltia<\/span>mo<\/strong> = we listen, ascolta<\/span>te<\/strong> = you listen asco<\/span>ltano<\/strong> = they listen<\/span>). However, <\/em>there are a few verbs, the most common being ordina<\/span>re <\/strong>(to order), capita<\/span>re <\/strong>(to happen), telefona<\/span>re <\/strong>(to phone), in which the accents falls one syllable further back in the first, second, and third persons singular, and the third person plural<\/span> (e.g. o<\/span>rdino<\/strong> = I order, o<\/span>rdini<\/strong> = you order, o<\/span>rdina<\/strong> = he\/she orders<\/span>, ordinia<\/span>mo<\/strong> = we order, ordina<\/span>te<\/strong> = you order, o<\/span>rdinano <\/span><\/strong>= they order<\/span>).<\/p>\n Finally, when reflexive pronouns, or direct and indirect object pronouns are added to a verb at the end (this is possible only with gerundives, infinitives and imperatives), the accent remains on the original syllable, e.g.: pa<\/span>ssa il sale a me <\/strong>(pass the salt to me) becomes pa<\/span>ssami il sale <\/strong>(pass me the salt), and p<\/span>a<\/span>ssamelo <\/strong>(lit: pass me it). So you can even find the accent falling on the fifth syllable from the end in verbs such as telefonare<\/strong> or ordinare<\/strong>, e.g.: Ti va un cappuccino? S\u00ec, grazie. O<\/span>rdinamelo, se non ti dispiace <\/strong>(Do you fancy a cappuccino? Yes, please. Order it for me, if you don\u2019t mind)<\/p>\n Well, I\u2019ve tried to give you all the rules and their exceptions, but I\u2019m sure that there are some more hiding somewhere in the dark. If you come across any discrepancies, please let me know!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In Italian, we have fixed rules for the pronunciation of letters which, once learnt, make it much easier to understand the relationship between written and spoken language. Unfortunately, the same is not true for accents. Although there are rules for where accents fall in verbs there are also lots of exceptions. As for nouns, adjectives…<\/p>\n