La finestra è pulita.

The window is clean.

Breakdown of La finestra è pulita.

• essere: to be
• la finestra: the window
• pulito: clean

Questions & Answers about La finestra è pulita.

Why is the word finestra feminine?

In Italian, finestra is a feminine noun. Many words ending in -a are feminine, although there are exceptions. The article la also indicates the feminine gender. You simply have to learn the gender of each noun as part of your vocabulary study.

What is è in this sentence?

The word è is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb essere, which means to be. In English, it corresponds to is.

Is pulita an adjective, and why does it end in -a?

Yes, pulita is an adjective meaning clean. Its ending changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes. Since finestra is feminine singular, the adjective must be pulita (with an -a ending).

Would I ever say La finestra è pulito?

No. Since finestra is feminine, you need the feminine form of the adjective: pulita. Pulito (with an -o) is masculine singular and would agree with a masculine noun instead (for example, Il tavolo è pulito).

When would I use pulite or puliti instead?

You would use pulite if you’re describing multiple feminine nouns (plural feminine), for example Le finestre sono pulite. You’d use puliti for multiple masculine nouns (plural masculine), for example I tavoli sono puliti.