Breakdown of Preparo una zuppa di verdure nella pentola grande.
io
I
di
of
nella
in
preparare
to prepare
la verdura
the vegetable
la zuppa
the soup
la pentola
the pot
grande
large
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Questions & Answers about Preparo una zuppa di verdure nella pentola grande.
What does the verb preparo mean in this sentence, and what tense is it in?
Preparo is the first person singular form of the verb preparare in the present tense. It means "I prepare" (with the subject io implied).
Why is the contraction nella used in the phrase nella pentola grande?
Nella is a contraction of the preposition in (“in”) and the feminine singular definite article la (“the”). Thus, in + la pentola becomes nella pentola, which means "in the pot".
What is the function of the phrase di verdure in this sentence?
The phrase di verdure translates to "of vegetables". It specifies the type or ingredients of the soup, indicating that it is a vegetable soup. In Italian, the preposition di is commonly used to show composition or the material something is made of.
How does the adjective grande agree with the noun pentola?
Although grande remains the same for both masculine and feminine forms, it must still follow the noun it describes. Here, pentola is a feminine singular noun, and placing grande after it (as in pentola grande) is a standard Italian structure to describe "a big pot".
How can I tell that zuppa is a feminine noun from this sentence?
The indefinite article una is used before feminine singular nouns in Italian. Since the sentence uses una zuppa, it indicates that zuppa is a feminine noun.
Could you break down the structure of the sentence Preparo una zuppa di verdure nella pentola grande?
Certainly.
– Preparo: The first person singular present tense of preparare (meaning "I prepare").
– una zuppa di verdure: The direct object, where una zuppa means "a soup" and di verdure specifies that it is a vegetable soup (indicating its ingredients).
– nella pentola grande: A prepositional phrase indicating where the preparation takes place; nella is the contraction for in + la, and pentola grande means "big pot".