È un miracolo.

Breakdown of È un miracolo.

essere
to be
uno
a
il miracolo
the miracle

Questions & Answers about È un miracolo.

Why is È written with an accent?

Because è means is, from the verb essere.

The accent is important because e without an accent usually means and.

So:

  • è = is
  • e = and

This is a very common distinction in written Italian.

Why is there no word for it in the sentence?

Italian often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed. The verb form already tells you the person and number.

So instead of saying a separate word for it is, Italian can simply say:

  • È = it is / he is / she is

In a sentence like È un miracolo, English needs it, but Italian does not.

What exactly is un here?

Un is the indefinite article, meaning a or an.

So:

  • un miracolo = a miracle

Italian uses un before most masculine singular nouns that begin with a consonant.

Why is it un miracolo and not uno miracolo?

Italian has two main masculine singular indefinite articles:

  • un
  • uno

You use un before most consonant sounds, like m in miracolo.

You use uno before certain special consonant sounds, such as:

  • z → uno zio
  • s
    • consonant → uno studente
  • gn → uno gnomo
  • ps → uno psicologo

Since miracolo starts with a simple m, the correct form is un miracolo.

Is miracolo masculine or feminine, and how can I tell?

Miracolo is masculine.

A useful clue is the ending -o, which very often marks a masculine singular noun in Italian.

So:

  • il miracolo = the miracle
  • un miracolo = a miracle

Its plural is:

  • i miracoli = the miracles
How do you pronounce È un miracolo?

A simple pronunciation guide is:

eh oon mee-RAH-ko-lo

A few details:

  • È sounds like eh
  • un is pronounced roughly oon
  • miracolo has the stress on RA: mee-RAH-ko-lo

The r in Italian is usually tapped or lightly rolled.

Is this sentence only literal, or can it also be used like English It’s a miracle?

It can absolutely be used idiomatically, just like in English.

For example, you can say it literally about something amazing or unlikely:

  • someone recovers unexpectedly
  • something works after many problems
  • a difficult plan succeeds

So È un miracolo can mean both a literal miracle and a more everyday It’s amazing that this happened.

Can I also say Questo è un miracolo?

Yes. Questo è un miracolo means This is a miracle.

The difference is:

  • È un miracolo = It’s a miracle
  • Questo è un miracolo = This is a miracle

Adding questo makes the subject explicit and points more directly to something specific.

Is the word order fixed?

For a basic statement like this, È un miracolo is the normal and natural order.

Italian word order can sometimes change for emphasis, but learners should treat this pattern as the standard one:

So if you want to say It is a miracle, È un miracolo is the best choice.

What verb form is è?

È is the third-person singular present tense of essere = to be.

The present tense of essere is:

  • sono = I am
  • sei = you are
  • è = he/she/it is
  • siamo = we are
  • siete = you all are
  • sono = they are

So in this sentence, è is the form meaning is.

Would the sentence change if the noun were plural?

Yes. The verb and article would change.

Singular:

  • È un miracolo = It’s a miracle

Plural:

  • Sono miracoli = They are miracles

Notice two changes:

  • è becomes sono
  • un disappears because plural indefinite nouns usually do not use a direct equivalent of a/an

If you wanted some miracles, you could say dei miracoli in some contexts.

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