Il rigattiere vende il soprammobile.

Because Italian normally uses the definite article with both the subject noun and the direct object noun when they are specific.

• il rigattiere = the junk dealer / second-hand dealer
• il soprammobile = the ornament / decorative object

Here, il is the masculine singular form of the used before most consonants.

The article tells you. Since both nouns use il, they are masculine singular.

This is especially helpful with nouns ending in -e, because that ending can be either masculine or feminine in Italian. So you cannot always tell gender from the ending alone.

• il rigattiere → masculine
• il soprammobile → masculine

Vende is the third-person singular present tense of vendere, meaning to sell.

So vende can mean:

• sells
• is selling

Which one sounds best in English depends on context. Italian often uses the simple present where English might use either sells or is selling.

Because the normal, neutral word order in Italian is also:

subject + verb + object

So:

• Il rigattiere = subject
• vende = verb
• il soprammobile = object

Italian can change word order for emphasis, but this sentence is in the most standard, straightforward order.

Rigattiere is not just any seller. It usually refers to someone who deals in old, used, or miscellaneous objects.

Depending on context, English translations might include:

• junk dealer
• second-hand dealer
• dealer in bric-a-brac
• sometimes antique dealer in a loose sense, though that can be too elegant in some contexts

So the word has a slightly old-fashioned, cluttered-shop feel.

A soprammobile is a small decorative object placed on a piece of furniture, a shelf, or a table.

Possible English equivalents are:

• ornament
• decorative object
• figurine
• knick-knack

It is written as one word in Italian: soprammobile.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

eel ree-gat-TYEH-reh VEN-deh eel soh-pra-MMO-bee-leh

A few helpful notes:

• rigattiere has the stress on -tiè-
• vende has the stress on the first syllable: VEN-de
• soprammobile has the stress on mò
• the double mm in soprammobile is pronounced more strongly than a single m

Yes. Italian present tense often covers both meanings.

So Il rigattiere vende il soprammobile could mean:

• The junk dealer sells the ornament
  or
• The junk dealer is selling the ornament

Without more context, either interpretation is possible.

Yes, Italian often drops the subject when it is understood from context. So Vende il soprammobile is grammatically possible.

However, vende by itself only tells you that the subject is third-person singular, so it could mean:

• he sells / is selling
• she sells / is selling
• it sells / is selling
• sometimes you sell in the formal sense (Lei)

Including Il rigattiere makes the subject clear.

In the plural, the sentence would become:

I rigattieri vendono i soprammobili.

That means The junk dealers sell the ornaments.

Changes:

• il → i
• rigattiere → rigattieri
• vende → vendono
• soprammobile → soprammobili