…
Breakdown of Questo gatto è interessante.
il gatto
the cat
essere
to be
interessante
interesting
questo
this
Questions & Answers about Questo gatto è interessante.
Why do we use Questo instead of Quello?
Questo means this in English, referring to something that is close to the speaker. Quello translates to that and refers to something farther away. In this sentence, we are indicating a cat that is near the speaker, hence Questo.
How do we know gatto is masculine?
Italian nouns generally have a fixed gender that you learn over time. Gatto is a masculine noun because it ends in -o (a typical marker of masculine words), and the feminine form would be gatta.
Why is the verb è used instead of something else?
È is the third-person singular of the verb essere (to be). We use it to describe a characteristic or state of being. In this case, we are describing how the cat is interesting, so è is the correct form.
Why is interessante the same form for both masculine and feminine?
Certain adjectives in Italian (often those ending in -e) have only one form for both masculine and feminine singular. Interessante does not change to -a or -o; the same form is used regardless of the noun’s gender.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Italian grammar?”
Italian grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning ItalianMaster Italian — from Questo gatto è interessante to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions