Lo spillo è accanto al gesso da sarta.

Because spillo begins with s + consonant (sp-), and in Italian many masculine singular nouns with that kind of beginning take lo instead of il.

Common pattern:

• il libro
• il tavolo
• but lo spillo
• lo studente
• lo zaino
• lo psicologo

So spillo belongs to the lo group.

Spillo usually means pin, especially a small straight pin.

It is a masculine singular noun, so:

• lo spillo = the pin
• uno spillo = a pin
• gli spilli = the pins

Depending on context, it usually suggests a sewing pin or a similar small pointed pin.

The accent is important because è and e are different words:

• è = is
• e = and

So in this sentence:

• Lo spillo è accanto... = The pin is next to...

The accent helps distinguish the verb from the conjunction.

È is the third-person singular form of essere (to be).

So:

• io sono = I am
• tu sei = you are
• lui/lei è = he/she is

In this sentence, lo spillo is singular, so Italian uses è:

• Lo spillo è... = The pin is...

Accanto means next to or beside.

It is very often used with a:

• accanto a = next to / beside

So:

• accanto al gesso = next to the chalk

You can think of accanto a as a fixed expression.

Because accanto is followed by the preposition a, and a + il contracts to al.

So:

• accanto a il gesso → accanto al gesso

This kind of contraction is very common in Italian:

• a + il = al
• a + lo = allo
• a + la = alla
• a + i = ai
• a + gli = agli
• a + le = alle

It means tailor’s chalk or dressmaker’s chalk.

Literally:

• gesso = chalk
• da sarta = for a seamstress / used by a seamstress

So the whole phrase refers to the kind of chalk used in sewing or tailoring.

Because da often expresses purpose, use, or typical user.

Examples:

• scarpe da tennis = tennis shoes
• spazzolino da denti = toothbrush
• occhiali da sole = sunglasses
• gesso da sarta = chalk for a seamstress / tailor’s chalk

So here da sarta does not mean simple possession. It describes the type or function of the chalk.

Sarta means seamstress or female tailor.

It is the feminine form of:

• sarto = tailor (male)
• sarta = tailor / seamstress (female)

So:

• gesso da sarta = chalk used by a female tailor or seamstress

In real usage, this kind of phrase can name the object regardless of any particular person being present.

Yes, depending on context and wording, gesso da sarto is also possible.

• sarto = male tailor
• sarta = female tailor

In practice, expressions for tools and materials can vary, and speakers may use one or the other depending on region, habit, or the exact item they mean. The sentence you were given uses gesso da sarta, which is perfectly understandable.

Because Italian normally uses a definite article here: il gesso.

So:

• a + il gesso = al gesso

Italian uses articles more often than English does. Where English might sometimes say next to chalk only in a very special context, Italian normally says accanto al gesso when referring to a specific piece of chalk or the chalk in the situation being described.

Usually yes. The definite article lo suggests the pin, meaning a specific pin already known from context or visible in the situation.

Italian uses definite articles quite naturally, often more than English does, but here the basic idea is still the pin rather than a pin.

If it were indefinite, you would expect:

• Uno spillo è accanto al gesso da sarta. = A pin is next to the tailor’s chalk.

This is very normal Italian word order:

• Lo spillo = subject
• è = verb
• accanto al gesso da sarta = location phrase

So it follows the common pattern: subject + verb + place/location

Very literally:

• The pin is next to the tailor’s chalk.

Yes. Vicino a and accanto a can both mean near / next to.

• accanto a often suggests right beside
• vicino a can be slightly broader, more like near

So:

• Lo spillo è accanto al gesso da sarta.
• Lo spillo è vicino al gesso da sarta.

Both are possible, though accanto feels a bit more specifically beside.

A few useful points:

• spillo: the sp- is pronounced clearly, and the ll is doubled in spelling but not pronounced like English ll; it is just Italian l
• accanto: the cc is a doubled consonant, so it is held a little longer than a single c
• gesso: the ge sounds like j in English jet, and ss is also doubled

One important thing for learners is that double consonants matter in Italian, even if English speakers do not always hear them at first.

Very often, yes. The standard pattern is:

• accanto a qualcuno
• accanto a qualcosa

Examples:

• accanto a me = next to me
• accanto alla finestra = next to the window
• accanto al gesso = next to the chalk

So when you learn accanto, it is best to learn it as accanto a.

Not always.

A very literal translation is:

• for a seamstress
• of a seamstress is usually not the right idea here

But in natural English, you would normally translate the whole phrase idiomatically:

• tailor’s chalk
• dressmaker’s chalk

So it is better to translate the phrase as a unit rather than word by word.