La gonna bianca che ho comprato ieri è comoda da indossare al lavoro.

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Breakdown of La gonna bianca che ho comprato ieri è comoda da indossare al lavoro.

• essere: to be
• comprare: to buy
• che: that
• comodo: comfortable
• ieri: yesterday
• indossare: to wear
• bianco: white
• al: at
• la gonna: the skirt
• da: to
• il lavoro: the work

Questions & Answers about La gonna bianca che ho comprato ieri è comoda da indossare al lavoro.

What does “La gonna bianca” mean, and how do the noun and adjective agree in this phrase?

“La gonna bianca” translates to “The white skirt.” Here, “gonna” (skirt) is a feminine noun, and the adjective “bianca” (white) agrees with it in gender and number. In Italian, adjectives must match the noun they describe, so since “gonna” is feminine singular, so is “bianca.”

What is the function of the relative clause “che ho comprato ieri” in the sentence?

The clause “che ho comprato ieri” means “that I bought yesterday” and acts as a relative clause providing additional information about “la gonna bianca.” The relative pronoun “che” refers back to the noun (the skirt) and links it with the action indicated by the verb phrase “ho comprato” (I bought), with “ieri” specifying when the purchase occurred.

How does the construction “comoda da indossare” work, and what does it imply about the skirt?

The phrase “comoda da indossare” translates to “comfortable to wear.” In this construction, “comoda” (comfortable) is an adjective describing the skirt, while “da indossare” uses the preposition “da” with the infinitive “indossare” (to wear) to indicate suitability or purpose. This formulation is common in Italian to express that something is well-suited for a particular use or activity.

What does “al lavoro” mean, and how is it formed from its component words?

“Al lavoro” means “at work.” It is formed by combining the preposition “a” (to/at) with the article “il” before the noun “lavoro” (work), creating the contraction “al.” This phrase indicates the setting or context in which the skirt is comfortable to wear.

Why is the passato prossimo used in “ho comprato” rather than another past tense?

The passato prossimo, as used in “ho comprato” (I bought), is common in Italian for denoting actions that have been completed in the recent or specific past. Since the sentence includes the time marker “ieri” (yesterday), the passato prossimo is appropriate to signal that the purchase is a finished action that occurred on a definite occasion.

Could the sentence structure be rearranged without changing its overall meaning, and if so, what should a learner watch out for?

Yes, Italian offers some flexibility in word order, but caution is needed to maintain clarity. For example, moving the relative clause or the time adverb “ieri” might affect the natural flow or emphasize different parts of the sentence. Keeping “che ho comprato ieri” immediately after “la gonna bianca” clearly links the clause to the noun it modifies. Altering such placement could create ambiguity or shift the focus, so learners should ensure that any rearrangement preserves the logical relationships between the sentence elements.