I feel that
i miei amici e io
is a bad translation.
What would be the grammatically correct way to say it?
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Welcome to Italian.SE, @CarloRevelli! – Charo♦ Oct 11 '15 at 17:48
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2"i miei amici e io" I think is the right translation. Why do you think it is bad? – WalterV Oct 11 '15 at 18:24
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2"I miei amici e io" is totally fine; mind that using the euphonic "d" before words starting with a vowel is usually preferred in order to articulate the two toghether with more ease (i.e. using "I miei amici ed io" as opposed to "I miei amici e io") : treccani.it/enciclopedia/d-eufonica_(La_grammatica_italiana). – kos Oct 11 '15 at 18:36
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@egreg I don't see the ambiguity (perhaps you can point that out?), but the second point I'm sorry doesn't make sense at all, "I" is obviously a vowel. – kos Oct 12 '15 at 8:40
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If you are satisfied with one of the answers to your question, please consider the option to "accept" an answer by clicking a checkmark next to that answer. – I.M. Oct 24 '15 at 9:00
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"My friends and I" would be generally translated as "Io e i miei amici", " I miei amici ed io" is also correct.
Ngram Io e i miei amici vs I miei amici ed io
"I miei amici ed io" is the better translation that you can do. Please, note two things:
- "ed", instead of "e" has the final "d", which is better suited since the following letter is a vowel;
- In Italian, it is better to put the first person at the last "place": putting it at the beginning ("io e i miei amici") sounds too "egocentric", and it should be avoided (see here also).
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1Very interesting link: as usual several grammars essentially say that “Io e te” is the form everybody uses, but that's incorrect. Which is silly. – egreg♦ Oct 12 '15 at 7:58
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@egreg: Yes, you are right. That's the reason why I'd wish to add this answer of mine. In fact, "io e te" is correct indeed, but it doesn't take into consideration the "bon ton" aspect of the communication...an aspect that, maybe, is sometimes ignored by "strict-grammar" books. – Andrea Oct 12 '15 at 8:02
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Grammars may take the “bon ton” into consideration, but if Italian speakers don't, grammars should adapt, not conversely. – egreg♦ Oct 12 '15 at 8:30
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1To me it sounds more natural to say it the other way round, Ngram, for what it is worth, seems to confirm that. – user519 Oct 12 '15 at 12:50
