Il suo sguardo è serio.

to be

Breakdown of Il suo sguardo è serio.

• suo: his
• serio: serious
• lo sguardo: the gaze; look

Questions & Answers about Il suo sguardo è serio.

Why is it il suo sguardo and not just suo sguardo?

In Italian, a possessive adjective like suo usually goes together with the definite article, so il suo sguardo is the normal form.

• il = the
• suo = his / her / its / your (formal)
• sguardo = look / gaze

So Italian often says something that is literally closer to the his gaze than to English his gaze.

A very common exception is with some singular family nouns:

• mia madre = my mother
• tuo fratello = your brother

But sguardo is not a family noun, so il suo sguardo is correct.

What exactly does suo mean here?

Suo is a possessive adjective. It can mean:

• his
• her
• its
• your (formal, singular)

So by itself, suo does not tell you whether the owner is male or female. You understand that from context.

For example, il suo sguardo could mean:

• his look
• her look
• your look (when speaking formally)

Italian often leaves this kind of information to context.

Why is it suo and not sua?