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I am looking for the correct translation of "whisky prices". It looks like prezzo is singular and prezzi is plural.

Now I am wondering if one needs an article or a declension to form this phrase in Italian. I translated it as whisky prezzi or prezzi del whisky. Which one of these two forms is correct? Or is there another form perhaps?

I.M.
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Bas van Dijk
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  • Welcome to Italian.SE, @osi! – Charo Nov 01 '15 at 12:36
  • I feel questions like this verge on the off-topic per a discussion in Meta. – DaG Nov 01 '15 at 13:04
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    @DaG: I think it's on-topic because the OP has provided a translation and he or she is asking whether this translation is correct or it could be improved. – Charo Nov 01 '15 at 13:49
  • I disagree, but you are a moderator and I respect your decision. – DaG Nov 01 '15 at 14:00
  • @DaG I too dislike lack of research or when people ask us to do their homework, but I think this one is on-topic according to that Meta post, it's not exactly a "plzsendtehtranzlation" question. – kos Nov 01 '15 at 15:01
  • @kos: The Meta post assume for the question to «describe a very specific issue, for instance with the construction of the phrase or the choice of a term in place of another, and show some effort from the OP». Here, I see only two automatic-looking translations, but I won't insist further. – DaG Nov 01 '15 at 15:12
  • @DaG There's no problem in insisting as your point is quite reasonable, and I think it should be covered in that Meta post. In my opinion the problem is just that we can't state that is an automatic translation. However if you feel like this should be closed you should really vote to close, perhaps others will agree with closing the question. – kos Nov 01 '15 at 15:25
  • You are right about the vote to close, @kos. – DaG Nov 01 '15 at 15:45
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    @DaG, I've tried to adjust the question to make it more on-topic. – I.M. Nov 01 '15 at 17:11
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    My translation would be “il prezzo del whisky”. A more concrete phrase could be “the prices of frozen orange juice had large oscillations”, that should be rendered as “il prezzo del succo d'arancia congelato ha avuto grandi oscillazioni”. – egreg Nov 02 '15 at 12:42
  • @egreg. Right, or perhaps the OP meant the prices of different kinds of whisky, or how knows what else, without the context. It is almost impossible to translate two isolated words. – DaG Nov 02 '15 at 15:08
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    @osi Please, provide some more context, because otherwise no real answer can be given: the translation is different in different contexts. However, the problem is interesting, so a more elaborate question is surely welcome and doesn't risk being closed. – egreg Nov 02 '15 at 15:14

1 Answers1

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Prezzi del whisky is the correct form, whisky prezzi is surely an error.

This type of preposition (del) is a preposition combined with an article (preposizione articolata) and is built by a simple preposition + definite article.

http://www.oneworlditaliano.com/english/italian-grammar/articulated-prepositions-in-italian.htm

Take care in Italian the word whisky is used for both singular and plural.

DaG
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Michele
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    Benvenuto su Italian.SE, @Mike! Potresti spiegare un po' di più? Per esempio, perché "whisky prezzi" non è corretto in italiano? Qui ci aspettiamo una risposta più elaborata. – Charo Nov 02 '15 at 12:44
  • Aggiungo carne al fuoco: e se qualcuno scrivesse dell'whisky? :-) È interessante scoprire come mai whisky si pronunci uìschi eppure voglia l'articolo il, mentre l'unica altra parola italiana che inizia con quel suono, uistitì, voglia l'articolo lo. L'uistitì è una scimmietta che non beve il whisky. – Mauro Vanetti Nov 05 '15 at 10:46
  • Quasi quasi lo trasformo in un'altra domanda... – Mauro Vanetti Nov 05 '15 at 10:48