Trovo la pioggia piacevole quando cade sul tetto.

I find the rain pleasant when it falls on the roof.

Breakdown of Trovo la pioggia piacevole quando cade sul tetto.

• io: I
• su: on
• trovare: to find
• quando: when
• la pioggia: the rain
• cadere: to fall
• il tetto: the roof
• piacevole: pleasant

Questions & Answers about Trovo la pioggia piacevole quando cade sul tetto.

Why do we use trovo instead of something like credo to mean "I find"?

In Italian, trovo (from the verb trovare) can mean "I find" in the sense of forming an opinion or perception about something. It’s somewhat like saying "I find the rain pleasant." Meanwhile, credo (from credere) would be more like "I believe the rain is pleasant," which has a slightly different nuance.

How does la pioggia function in the sentence?

La pioggia (the rain) is the direct object of the verb trovo. Italians often add the definite article (la) to talk about general concepts like rain, snow, etc.

Why is piacevole used here and not piacevolmente?

Piacevole is an adjective describing la pioggia. If we said piacevolmente, that would be an adverb describing the manner of an action. Since the sentence means I find the rain pleasant, we are describing the rain, not how it’s falling.

What is the role of quando in this sentence?

Quando introduces a dependent clause expressing the time circumstance in which something happens. So, quando cade sul tetto specifies the condition or time when la pioggia is found pleasant.

What does cade mean here?

Cade is the third-person singular present tense of cadere, meaning to fall. So, cade sul tetto means "it falls on the roof."

What does sul stand for?

Sul is a contraction of su + il, meaning on the or onto the in this context. So sul tetto is literally "on the roof."