Lei guarda il tramonto.

to watch

Breakdown of Lei guarda il tramonto.

• il tramonto: the sunset
• lei: she

Questions & Answers about Lei guarda il tramonto.

What does Lei mean in this sentence, and why is it capitalized?

Lei is a subject pronoun in Italian that typically means she. Although Lei can also be used as the formal form of you when capitalized, in this context with its corresponding verb form (guarda) it clearly refers to she. The capitalization is due to it being the first word of the sentence rather than a marker of formality.

How is the verb guarda formed from the infinitive guardare, and what does its form indicate?

Guarda is the third person singular present indicative form of the regular -are verb guardare. This form directly corresponds to the subject Lei, indicating that she is performing the action of watching or looking at something—in this case, the sunset.

Why is the definite article il used before tramonto?

Il is the masculine singular definite article in Italian. It is used here because tramonto, meaning sunset, is a masculine noun. Thus, il tramonto translates directly to the sunset.

Is it necessary to include the subject pronoun Lei in this sentence, or can it be omitted?

In Italian, subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending already clearly indicates the subject. However, including Lei can provide extra emphasis or clarity, especially in situations where formality or specific identification of the subject is important.

How does the word order of Lei guarda il tramonto compare to typical English sentence structure?

The word order in this sentence is Subject-Verb-Object, which is the same as in standard English sentences (i.e., She watches the sunset). Although Italian sometimes allows for flexible word order, in this case the structure aligns neatly with the typical English format.