Il tornio da vasaio gira lentamente.

The potter's wheel turns slowly.

Breakdown of Il tornio da vasaio gira lentamente.

• lentamente: slowly
• girare: to turn
• il tornio da vasaio: the potter's wheel

Questions & Answers about Il tornio da vasaio gira lentamente.

Why is il used here?

Il is the masculine singular definite article, meaning the.

It is used because tornio is a masculine singular noun:

• il tornio = the wheel / the lathe

Italian uses articles very regularly, often more than English does.

What does tornio da vasaio mean grammatically?

The main noun is tornio.

The part da vasaio describes what kind of tornio it is. So the structure is:

• tornio = wheel / lathe
• da vasaio = for a potter / used by a potter

Together, tornio da vasaio means potter’s wheel.

Why is it da vasaio and not del vasaio?