La terminologia dipende dalla lingua di lavoro.

Dipende is the third-person singular form of the verb dipendere = to depend.

The subject of the sentence is la terminologia = the terminology, which is singular, so the verb must also be singular:

• la terminologia dipende = the terminology depends

For comparison:

• dipendere = infinitive, to depend
• dipende = it depends
• dipendono = they depend

So here dipende agrees with la terminologia.

Dalla is a combination of:

• da = from / on / by, depending on context
• la = the (feminine singular)

So:

• da + la = dalla

In this sentence:

• dipendere da = to depend on
• dalla lingua di lavoro = on the working language

This kind of contraction is very common in Italian:

• da + il = dal
• da + lo = dallo
• da + la = dalla
• da + i = dai
• da + gli = dagli
• da + le = dalle

Because dipendere normally takes the preposition da in Italian.

So:

• dipendere da qualcosa = to depend on something
• dipendere da qualcuno = to depend on someone

Examples:

• Tutto dipende dal tempo. = Everything depends on the weather.
• Dipende da te. = It depends on you.

Even though English uses on, Italian uses da. This is just something you learn with the verb.

Italian uses the definite article much more often than English.

Here la terminologia means the terminology. Italian often includes the article in places where English might also use one, but sometimes Italian keeps it even where English might drop it.

Also, terminologia is:

• feminine
• singular

So the correct article is la.

Because lingua is also a feminine singular noun, so it takes la.

The full phrase is:

• da + la lingua di lavoro
• contracted to dalla lingua di lavoro

So the article is there because Italian normally says the working language, not just working language, in this structure.

It is singular.

• la terminologia = the terminology
• plural: le terminologie = the terminologies

In many contexts, terminologia works like English terminology: an abstract or collective noun referring to the set of terms used in a field or context.

That is why the verb is singular:

• La terminologia dipende...

Literally, lingua di lavoro means language of work.

In natural English, that is usually:

• working language
• language used for work

So:

• la lingua di lavoro = the working language

This is a very normal Italian expression, especially in professional, translation, academic, or multilingual contexts.

Because lingua di lavoro is a noun phrase meaning work language or working language, where di links the two nouns.

In Italian, di is often used to express this kind of relationship:

• scarpe da tennis = tennis shoes
• sala da pranzo = dining room
• lingua di lavoro = working language

You cannot always translate these patterns word for word. Here, di lavoro is simply the established expression.

A useful way to remember it is that lingua di lavoro is a fixed phrase.

Usually, la lingua di lavoro is much more natural.

Lavorativa comes from lavorativo, which means something like work-related or occupational, but lingua lavorativa is not the usual expression here.

So if you mean working language, use:

• lingua di lavoro

Italian word order is somewhat flexible, but the original sentence is the most natural and neutral:

• La terminologia dipende dalla lingua di lavoro.

You could change the order for emphasis, but it would sound marked or literary:

• Dalla lingua di lavoro dipende la terminologia.

That version emphasizes dalla lingua di lavoro.

The version:

• Dipende dalla lingua di lavoro la terminologia

is possible, but less natural in everyday usage.

For a learner, the standard order is best.

In lingua, the letters gui are pronounced roughly like gwee.

So:

• lingua sounds approximately like LEEN-gwa

Important: this is not the same gli sound found in words like famiglia or figlio. In lingua, you simply have:

• lin-gua

The stress falls on the first syllable:

• LÌN-gua

Here it means work in a general sense, not a specific job.

So:

• lingua di lavoro = language used for work
• not necessarily the language of one particular job position

Lavoro can mean both work and job, depending on context, but in this phrase the sense is clearly work/professional activity.