1) The first answer that comes in my mind is that «sciocca» is a woman while «scemo» is a man :-) joking apart, «sciocco» is lighter than «scemo», you say «non fare lo sciocco» to someone is joking you, «non fare lo scemo» to someone is annoying you. Also, you can use «sciocco» for events: «una sciocca superstizione», «uno sciocco incidente», «una sciocca coincidenza»... as a synonimous of insignificant, banal... «Sciocco» can also be a dish poor in salt. 2) Just because elision is mandatory on singular but not on plural, where is almost never practised. Anyhow it isn't forbidden, you can write «l'edicole» if you want, but it will sound out of date or aulic; be aware that you can write «gl'italiani», «gl'inglesi», but you can never write «gl'americani», «gl'europei» because the sound would change from «gli...» /ʎi.../ to «gla...» /gla.../ or «gle...» /gle.../ and this is not allowed by the rules of elision. 3) If you mean «palestra» as a «kind of place», it goes without articles; if you mean it as a «real place» that is not unique and you haven't yet introduced to your interlocutor, it goes with the indefinite article; if you mean it as a «real place» that is unique or you have already introduced to your interlocutor, it goes with the definite article. 4) One can only go back to his/her gender according to articles or adjectives, but not to his/her relationship unless your interlocutor already knows it or you specify it, for example: «mia nipote, la figlia di mio fratello, ...» or «mio nipote, il figlio di mia figlia, ...»; of course, if you say such a sentence: «mia nipote mi ha chiesto: "zia, posso studiare italiano con te?"» all makes sense by itself. The same problem you can find with «ospite» that can mean both «host» and «guest», only the contest can help you.

Hello, I try to answer to your question: 1) The words "sciocca" is less offensive than "scemo". You can use "sciocca" for femine or "sciocco" for masculine, sometimes with chirdren for example " Che scioccho che sei! What a silly you are!"The words "scemo" is mor offensive and more informal. Both are similar. 2)The definite article LA singolar and LE plural are used before femine nouns beginning with a consonant for Example: LA CASA LE CASE LA PENNA LE PENNE The definite article L' is used instead of LA before nouns beginning with a vowel; The Plural is LE. For example: L'AMICA LE AMICHE L'ONDA LE ONDE L'EDICOLA LE EDICOLE L' ARPA LE ARPE 3) In the sentence " IO FACCIO GINNASTICA IN PALESTRA" you can't use LA PALESTRA because " IO FACCIO GINNASTICA......where ? IN PALESTRA ( in this you have to use the prepostitions of place because at the question WHERE? you have to use PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE). I write others example: IO MANGIO.....where? AL RISTORANTE IO DORMO ......where? A CASA IO LAVORO.......where? A SCUOLA, or IN PALESTRA You can use LA PALESTRA for example in: LA PALESTRA DOVE FACCIO GINNASTICA é GRANDE LA PALESTRA é MOLTO ATTREZZATA PAY ATTENTION TO THE VERB "FARE": it to give is used to give informations about jobs, hobbies and interests: CHE LAVORO FAI? IO FACCIO IL DENTISTA, LA MAESTRA, ecc CHE COSA FAI NEL TEMPO LIBERO? IO FACCIO IL CUOCO or IO LEGGO UN LIBRO In this sentences you use the definite or indefinite article, because IO FACCIO .....what? ...IL DENTISTA, IL FARMACISTA; LA CUOCA 4) You can understand from THE ARTICLE, THE PRONOUNS and THE PERSONAL PRONOUNS SUBJECT LEI è mia nipote LUI è mio nipote CARLA è LA nipote di mio fratello GIOVANNI è IL nipote di mio fratello

Sciocca is less offensive than scemo, but they are pretty much synonims:-). There is never an apostrophe in the plural, it is mandatory only in the singular. Preposition phrases like in palestra, in banca, in pizzeria, are something that you learn by heart, because sometimes you use in, sometimes a, sometimes al, sometimes alla:-) Italians make a slight difference that is sometimes unreachable for us foreigners. The word nipote, and some others like cantante, can be both feminine and masculine, you don't know it if there is no some other deteminator like an article, adjective. With the nouns like amante, insegnante, you can not know it even when there is an article l'amante, l'insegnante, because the article is the same for both genders. But you certainly know it if I say l'insegnante nervoso or l'insegnante nervosa.

I answer what I can: 1) Usually /sciocco/ is somebody who sometimes believes things that are not true, so it could be a target to ill-intentioned people; he might be capable of sharp thinking in other circumstances. /scemo/ is somebody who suffers a severe lack of intellectual capabilities. In other cases /sciocco/ is a mitigated form of /scemo/. 2) Can't help you here! Sorry. (I confirm: le edicole) 3a) Io faccio ginnastica in palestra. 3b) Io faccio ginnastica nella palestra dove vai anche tu. Both forms are correct, in (3a) you are just stating the 'kind of place', so the article must be dropped. 4) Il nipote, la nipote (for gender distinction). The only way to get rid of the other ambiguity is to extend the context, like in: Lei e` la sua nipote, cioe` {di, in quanto} zia. It is rather clumsy, but there are no specialized words.

1) What’s the difference between sciocca and scemo? Sciocca = silly What a silly ! "Che sciocco!" scemo = Dump the movie "dump and dumper" is translated in Italy as "Scemo e piú scemo" 2) l'edicola vs. le edicole why does one have apostrophe and the other doesn’t? Shouldn't the plural article+word also have an apostrophe? we don't use the'apostrophe for the plural of "la" : l'acqua, le acque. 3) Io faccio ginnastica in palestra... Correct. "in palestra" is a general gym. You can use it also with other buildings/places when you are talking in general: in biblioteca, in ospedale, in campagna, in cittá (ex. al mar) 4) When someone says "nipote" how do I know if the speaker is referring to a neice/ nephew or a male/female grandchild? You don't know... ;-) They must give you more details.