Il calzolaio risuola la scarpa.

Il is the masculine singular definite article, so it usually means the.

In il calzolaio, it tells you we are talking about the shoemaker.

A quick note:

• il is used before many masculine singular nouns
• other masculine forms of the include lo, l’, and i/gli in the plural, depending on the next sound

Here, calzolaio is masculine singular, so il is the correct article.

Calzolaio means shoemaker or cobbler.

It refers to someone who makes or repairs shoes. In this sentence, the idea is specifically that the person is repairing the sole of a shoe.

A learner may also come across ciabattino, which can also mean cobbler in many contexts. Depending on region and usage, the two can overlap, but calzolaio is a very standard word.

Risuola is the third-person singular present tense of the verb risuolare.

So:

• risuolare = to resole
• risuola = he/she/it resoles or resoles

In this sentence:

• Il calzolaio = the shoemaker
• risuola = resoles
• la scarpa = the shoe

So the structure is simply: The shoemaker resoles the shoe.

It comes from the noun suola, meaning sole (the bottom part of a shoe), with the prefix ri-, which often means again or back.

So:

• suola = sole
• risuolare = to put a new sole on / to resole

This is very similar to how English uses re- in words like rebuild or redo.

La is the feminine singular definite article, meaning the.

So:

• la scarpa = the shoe

Scarpa is a feminine singular noun, so it takes la.

This sentence has both:

• il calzolaio = masculine singular
• la scarpa = feminine singular

Italian often uses the definite article in places where English may or may not use the, depending on context.

In this sentence, Il calzolaio risuola la scarpa is a straightforward, complete sentence with two definite noun phrases:

• the shoemaker
• the shoe

Without more context, it can sound like a specific shoemaker and a specific shoe, but Italian also commonly uses the definite article in more general statements.

So this sentence could be understood as:

• a concrete example: The shoemaker resoles the shoe
• or as a simple model sentence illustrating the action

It is singular.

• la scarpa = the shoe
• le scarpe = the shoes

So if you wanted to say The shoemaker resoles the shoes, you would say:

Il calzolaio risuola le scarpe
or more naturally, depending on meaning, possibly Il calzolaio risuola le scarpe if he is resoling multiple shoes.

The word order is the standard Italian pattern:

subject + verb + direct object

So:

• Il calzolaio = subject
• risuola = verb
• la scarpa = direct object

This is very similar to English:

• The shoemaker resoles the shoe

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

Italian usually does not need subject pronouns if the subject is already clear.

Here, the subject is explicitly stated:

• Il calzolaio

So there is no need to add lui or another pronoun.

Even when the subject is not written, Italian often leaves it out because the verb ending shows the person:

• risuolo = I resole
• risuoli = you resole
• risuola = he/she resoles

This is one of the big differences from English, where subject pronouns are normally required.

In standard modern Italian, risuola by itself is understood as he/she resoles or it resoles.

The form for tu is usually risuoli:

• tu risuoli = you resole

So in this sentence, risuola clearly matches il calzolaio.

A helpful approximate pronunciation is:

• calzolaio ≈ kal-dzo-LAI-o
• risuola ≈ ree-SWO-la

A few details:

• z in calzolaio is pronounced like dz in many standard pronunciations
• ai in -laio sounds like the vowel sound in English eye
• uo in risuola forms a glide, roughly swaw/ swo

If you want to say the full sentence approximately: Il calzolaio risuola la scarpa
≈ eel kal-dzo-LAI-o ree-SWO-la la SKAR-pa

Its basic meaning is shoe.

Common related forms:

• scarpa = shoe
• scarpe = shoes

Depending on context, Italian may use more specific words for different kinds of footwear, but scarpa is the normal everyday word for shoe.

Yes, and that would mean The shoemaker repairs the shoe.

The difference is:

• ripara = repairs in a general sense
• risuola = specifically resoles, meaning replaces or repairs the sole

So risuola is more precise. It tells you exactly what kind of repair is happening.

The dictionary form is risuolare.

It is a regular -are verb. A basic present-tense pattern would be:

• io risuolo = I resole
• tu risuoli = you resole
• lui/lei risuola = he/she resoles
• noi risuoliamo = we resole
• voi risuolate = you all resole
• loro risuolano = they resole

So the sentence uses the lui/lei form: risuola.

Because la scarpa is the direct object of the verb.

The verb risuolare directly takes the thing being resoled:

• risuolare qualcosa = to resole something

So:

• Il calzolaio risuola la scarpa = The shoemaker resoles the shoe

No preposition is needed, just as in English you say resole the shoe, not resole to the shoe.