Dopo la raffica, ammainiamo la vela.

Because Italian usually omits subject pronouns when the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

Here, ammainiamo ends in -iamo, which tells you the subject is we.

So:

• ammainiamo = we lower / let’s lower
• noi ammainiamo is possible, but it adds emphasis, contrast, or clarity

Italian often sounds more natural without the pronoun unless you really want to stress we.

Dopo means after.

In this sentence, dopo la raffica means after the gust or after the squall.

This is different from poi, which usually means then or later.

• dopo la raffica = after the gust
• poi ammainiamo la vela = then we lower the sail

So dopo introduces something that comes earlier in time, while poi just moves the sequence forward.

Italian uses articles much more often than English.

So where English might sometimes leave out the, Italian usually keeps it:

• la raffica = the gust
• la vela = the sail

Without the article, dopo raffica would sound incomplete or unnatural in standard Italian.

Also, raffica is a feminine singular noun, so it takes la.

Raffica usually means a gust, blast, or sudden burst, especially of wind.

In a sailing context, it most naturally refers to a gust of wind or a squall-like burst.

So the sentence suggests something like:

• after a strong gust of wind, we lower the sail

It is more specific than a general storm word like tempesta.

Yes. Ammainiamo comes from ammainare, a more specialized nautical verb meaning to lower a sail, flag, or similar thing.

So:

• ammainare la vela = to lower the sail
• abbassare = to lower in a more general sense

In this sentence, ammainiamo is the natural choice because it is specifically about sailing.

It can be either, depending on context.

Ammainiamo can mean:

• we lower
• let’s lower

That is because the 1st person plural present indicative and the 1st person plural imperative/exhortative have the same form.

So without more context, the sentence could be understood as either:

• a statement: After the gust, we lower the sail
• a suggestion/command: After the gust, let’s lower the sail

Usually the wider context tells you which meaning is intended.

The comma separates the introductory time phrase from the main clause:

• Dopo la raffica, = after the gust
• ammainiamo la vela = we lower the sail

This kind of comma is common in writing, especially when the opening phrase sets the scene.

It is often optional in short sentences, so you may also see:

• Dopo la raffica ammainiamo la vela.

Both are possible, but the comma makes the structure a little clearer.

Again, Italian usually uses articles more than English does.

So la vela is the normal way to say the sail.

This can refer to:

• a specific sail already understood from the situation
• the sail of the boat being discussed

Saying just vela here would sound unnatural in standard Italian.

Also, vela is a feminine singular noun, so it takes la.

Yes. Italian word order is fairly flexible.

You could also say:

• Ammainiamo la vela dopo la raffica.

This means the same basic thing.

The version with Dopo la raffica at the beginning puts the time reference first, which gives it a little more emphasis:

• After the gust, we lower the sail.

So the original sentence sounds slightly more focused on when the action happens.

Because both raffica and vela are feminine singular nouns.

So:

• la raffica
• la vela

If they were plural, the article would change:

• le raffiche = the gusts
• le vele = the sails

This is an example of normal article-noun agreement in Italian.