# word order



## Mezzivi

Hi, sorry if this in the wrong forum, but could someone please help me with a question i have?

Is Italian and French word order exactly the same? If not what are the differences?

Thanks.


----------



## Outsider

Mezzivi said:


> Is Italian and French word order exactly the same? If not what are the differences?


No two languages use exactly the same word order at all times. Heck, no two speakers do! 

There are differences especially in interrogative sentences (questions). French (at least in careful registers) tends to invert the position of the subject and the verb, while Italian normally doesn't. 

affirmative:

Eng.: You can come.
Fr.: Tu peux venir.
It.: (Tu) Puoi venire.​
interrogative:

Eng.: Can you come?
Fr.: Peux-tu venir ?
It.: (Tu) Puoi venire?​


----------



## irene.acler

Another difference is that in French the pronoun (subject) is compulsory, while in Italian it isn't. What's more, in Italian the pronoun as subject (io, tu...) isn't usally used, unless you want to focus on the subject. An example:

You must come with us.
Devi venire con noi--> the use of "tu" is not necessary at all here.
Tu dois venir avec nous.

On the other hand, if you want to stress that "you", and not another person, has to come with us, you will use the pronoun:

*Tu* devi venire con noi.


----------



## Mezzivi

Thanks for the replies. 

Do you think it would be a bad idea to learn both at the same time? Because the word order is so similar.


----------



## Outsider

Having similar word order would not be a problem, but read this discussion.


----------



## Tim~!

You can append object pronouns to the infinitive and present participle in Italian, but not in French.

Non posso farlo = Non lo posso fare = Je ne peux pas le faire


----------

