Le mie scarpe da ginnastica sono comode ma un po’ vecchie.
My sneakers are comfortable but a bit old.
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Breakdown of Le mie scarpe da ginnastica sono comode ma un po’ vecchie.
essere
to be
vecchio
old
mio
my
ma
but
comodo
comfortable
da
for
un po’
a bit
Questions & Answers about Le mie scarpe da ginnastica sono comode ma un po’ vecchie.
What does Le mie mean in this sentence?
Le mie is the feminine plural possessive adjective meaning "my". It agrees in gender and number with scarpe (shoes) and indicates that the shoes belong to the speaker.
What is the meaning of scarpe da ginnastica?
Scarpe da ginnastica literally translates as "shoes for gymnastics", but it is commonly used to refer to sneakers or athletic shoes in everyday Italian.
Why is the adjective comode in its feminine plural form?
Adjectives in Italian must agree with the noun they describe. Since scarpe (shoes) is a feminine plural noun, the adjective comode also appears in the feminine plural to mean "comfortable".
What does un po’ vecchie mean, and how is it used in this sentence?
Un po’ vecchie translates as "a little old" or "a bit old." The phrase un po’ (a little) modifies the adjective vecchie (old) to indicate that the shoes are somewhat or slightly old, rather than very old.
What role does ma play in the sentence?
Ma is a conjunction that translates as "but" in English. It is used here to contrast the two qualities of the shoes: they are comfortable (comode) yet a bit old (un po’ vecchie).
Why do the descriptive adjectives appear after the linking verb sono rather than before the noun?
In Italian, adjectives that serve as a predicate after a linking verb—like sono (are)—typically follow the verb. In this sentence, comode and vecchie describe the subject (le mie scarpe da ginnastica) and are placed after sono to complete the statement with their descriptive roles.
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