L'antico dipinto è famoso.

The ancient painting is famous.

Breakdown of L'antico dipinto è famoso.

• essere: to be
• antico: ancient
• il dipinto: the painting
• famoso: famous

Questions & Answers about L'antico dipinto è famoso.

Why do we say L'antico instead of Il antico?

In Italian, the definite article il elides to l' before words that begin with a vowel (such as antico). This is a common rule that helps with pronunciation and flow. So instead of saying il antico, we say l'antico.

Is antico the same as vecchio?

They both indicate something old, but antico typically suggests something very old, often referring to ancient or historical value. Vecchio simply means old, without necessarily implying historical or classical importance.

Is dipinto a noun or an adjective in this context?

In this context, dipinto is a noun that means painting. You might also see dipinto in other parts of speech (like the past participle of “dipingere”), but here it’s used as a noun referring to an artwork.

Why do we use è instead of sta?

Italian generally uses essere (è) to describe a characteristic of something (like being famous). Stare often describes a temporary condition or location. Since fame is considered a permanent quality here, è is the correct verb form.

Could we use quadro instead of dipinto?

Yes, you could say L'antico quadro è famoso. Dipinto means a painted work, emphasizing the painting process, while quadro is a more generic term for a framed piece of art. Both convey that it’s a painting, but dipinto focuses on the act of painting itself.