Il mio amico è alto.

to be

Breakdown of Il mio amico è alto.

• alto: tall
• l'amico: the friend
• mio: my

Questions & Answers about Il mio amico è alto.

Why do we use Il before mio amico?

In Italian, possessive adjectives (like mio) usually come with a definite article (like il). So you often say Il mio amico rather than just Mio amico. However, there are some exceptions, such as when referring to family members in the singular (for example, mia mamma).

Why is mio placed before amico?

In Italian, the possessive adjective normally goes before the noun it modifies. So you say il mio amico ("my friend") instead of il amico mio. Placing it after the noun (l'amico mio) can sound more colloquial or emphasize the relationship.

How do I know to use è instead of something like sta?

In Italian, essere (to be) is used for permanent or defining characteristics, such as a person's height. Stare is often used for temporary states or positions. Saying Il mio amico è alto means "My friend is tall," describing a permanent trait.

Why is alto at the end of the sentence?

The normal word order in Italian is subject + verb + complement. Here, the complement is an adjective describing the subject. So in Il mio amico è alto, the subject is il mio amico, the verb is è, and the adjective alto describes the subject. This order sounds natural in Italian.