Scavano sotto l'albero.

Scavano comes from the verb scavare, which means to dig.

Here it is in the present tense, third person plural:

• io scavo = I dig / I am digging
• tu scavi = you dig
• lui/lei scava = he/she digs
• noi scaviamo = we dig
• voi scavate = you all dig
• loro scavano = they dig / they are digging

So scavano means they dig or they are digging, depending on context.

Italian often leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed.

The verb ending already tells you who the subject is:

• scavo = I dig
• scavi = you dig
• scava = he/she digs
• scavano = they dig

So instead of saying Loro scavano, Italian usually just says Scavano.

You can add loro for emphasis or contrast, but it is normally unnecessary.

It can mean either one.

In Italian, the present tense often covers both:

• they dig
• they are digging

So Scavano sotto l'albero could mean:

• They dig under the tree
• They are digging under the tree

The exact English translation depends on context.

Because albero begins with a vowel.

In Italian, the masculine singular definite article before a vowel becomes l':

• il libro = the book
• il cane = the dog
• l'albero = the tree
• l'amico = the friend

So l'albero simply means the tree.

The apostrophe shows that the article has been shortened.

Albero is masculine.

You can tell because it takes the masculine article:

• l'albero = the tree

Its plural is:

• gli alberi = the trees

So:

• singular: l'albero
• plural: gli alberi

Sotto means under or below.

In this sentence, it is a preposition introducing the place where the action happens:

• sotto l'albero = under the tree

So the structure is:

• Scavano = they dig / they are digging
• sotto l'albero = under the tree

Together: They dig / are digging under the tree.

For the same reason as above: albero starts with a vowel, so the article becomes l'.

After sotto, you still use the definite article:

• sotto il tavolo = under the table
• sotto la sedia = under the chair
• sotto l'albero = under the tree

So sotto l'albero is the normal correct form.

Yes, Italian word order is often more flexible than English.

The neutral order here is:

• Scavano sotto l'albero

But you may also hear:

• Sotto l'albero scavano

That can sound more marked or emphatic, as if focusing on where they are digging.

Still, Scavano sotto l'albero is the most straightforward and natural basic order.

A simple approximation is:

SKAH-vah-noh SOT-toh LAL-beh-roh

A few useful points:

• Sca- in scavano sounds like ska
• v is pronounced clearly, like English v
• tt in sotto is pronounced as a stronger, longer t
• l'albero flows together smoothly: lalbero

A more IPA-like pronunciation is roughly: [ˈskaːvano ˈsotto ˈlalbero]

Yes. Scavare is a regular -are verb.

Its present tense follows the normal pattern for -are verbs:

• scavo
• scavi
• scava
• scaviamo
• scavate
• scavano

So if you already know verbs like parlare or lavorare, scavare works in the same basic way.

It could be either.

Italian present tense is flexible. Depending on context, Scavano sotto l'albero could mean:

• a general or habitual action: They dig under the tree
• an action happening right now: They are digging under the tree

If the surrounding context is missing, both are possible.

Yes, it is grammatically correct.

However, Italian usually prefers:

• Scavano sotto l'albero

Adding loro is normally for emphasis, contrast, or clarity:

• Loro scavano sotto l'albero, noi no. = They are digging under the tree, we are not.

So loro is possible, but often unnecessary.

In this sentence, it is most naturally understood literally: physically under the tree.

Italian sotto can sometimes be used in broader or figurative ways in other contexts, but here the simplest reading is spatial:

• someone is digging in the area beneath the tree

So for a learner, the safest understanding is the literal one.