Il cibo è ben preparato.

The food is well prepared.

Breakdown of Il cibo è ben preparato.

• essere: to be
• il cibo: the food
• ben: well
• preparato: prepared

Questions & Answers about Il cibo è ben preparato.

What is the literal translation of Il cibo è ben preparato?

It translates as "The food is well prepared." This means that the food has been prepared properly or skillfully, emphasizing the quality of its preparation.

Why is the adverb ben used instead of the adjective buono?

In Italian, adverbs modify adjectives or past participles, not nouns. Ben is the adverb meaning "well" and is used here to modify preparato (a past participle functioning adjectivally). Using buono (which means "good") would be incorrect because it is an adjective and cannot directly modify another adjective or participle.

Why is preparato in the masculine singular form?

Because preparato must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes, which is il cibo. Since il cibo is a masculine singular noun, the adjective (or participle used as an adjective) also appears in the masculine singular form.

What role does the verb è play in this sentence?

È is the third person singular form of the verb essere (to be). It functions as a linking verb that connects the subject il cibo with the predicate ben preparato, effectively describing the state or quality of the food.

Does ben preparato represent a passive construction or simply a descriptive state?

It functions similarly to a passive construction. Although it describes a state resulting from an action (i.e., that the food has been prepared well), Italian often uses adjectives or past participles with essere to state conditions. In this context, ben preparato is understood as describing the outcome of the food’s preparation rather than detailing the active process itself.