La sottotrama prepara il colpo di scena.

to prepare

Breakdown of La sottotrama prepara il colpo di scena.

• la sottotrama: the subplot
• il colpo di scena: the plot twist

Questions & Answers about La sottotrama prepara il colpo di scena.

Why does the sentence start with La?

La is the feminine singular definite article, meaning the.

It is used because sottotrama is a feminine singular noun:

• la sottotrama = the subplot

In Italian, articles usually have to match the noun in gender and number, so you cannot use il here.

What exactly is sottotrama?

Sottotrama means subplot.

It is made up of:

• sotto- = under / sub-
• trama = plot

So it literally suggests a plot line that is secondary to the main one. It is a single word in Italian, not two separate words.

Why is it prepara and not preparare?

Prepara is the conjugated verb form, while preparare is the infinitive.

Here, prepara is:

• third person singular
• present tense
• from preparare = to prepare

It matches the subject la sottotrama:

• La sottotrama prepara = The subplot prepares / sets up

If you used preparare, the sentence would be incomplete as a normal statement.

Why is prepara singular?