Il caffè caldo è sul tavolino.

The hot coffee is on the small table.

Breakdown of Il caffè caldo è sul tavolino.

• essere: to be
• su: on
• caldo: hot
• il caffè: the coffee
• il tavolino: the table

Questions & Answers about Il caffè caldo è sul tavolino.

Why is there an accent mark on caffè?

The accent on caffè shows that the stress falls on the final syllable. This is important for proper pronunciation in Italian and distinguishes it from other words that might have different stress patterns.

What does tavolino mean, and how does it differ from tavolo?

Tavolino is the diminutive form of tavolo. While tavolo means "table," adding the suffix -ino gives tavolino the meaning "small table," often suggesting something like a coffee table or a side table.

Why does the adjective caldo come after the noun caffè, unlike the typical adjective–noun order in English?

In Italian, descriptive adjectives usually follow the noun they modify. So caffè caldo literally translates to "coffee hot." Although sometimes adjectives can precede the noun for stylistic reasons, placing caldo after caffè is the standard order in Italian.

How is the prepositional phrase sul tavolino formed?

The phrase sul tavolino is a contraction. The preposition su (meaning "on") combines with the masculine singular article il to form sul ("on the"). This type of contraction is very common in Italian.

Do adjectives in Italian need to agree with the noun they modify, as seen in caffè caldo?

Yes, adjectives in Italian must agree with the noun in both gender and number. Since caffè is masculine singular, the adjective caldo is also in masculine singular form.

Why is there no subject pronoun before the verb è in the sentence?

In Italian, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb conjugation already makes the subject clear. In this case, è (is) refers directly to il caffè caldo, so using an extra pronoun would be redundant.