Il mobile in legno è pesante, ma sembra molto robusto.

to be

Breakdown of Il mobile in legno è pesante, ma sembra molto robusto.

• in: in
• molto: very
• ma: but

Questions & Answers about Il mobile in legno è pesante, ma sembra molto robusto.

What does Il mobile in legno mean, and how is it constructed?

Il mobile in legno translates to “the wooden piece of furniture”. Here, il is the masculine singular definite article meaning “the”; mobile means “piece of furniture” or simply “furniture”; and in legno means “made of wood” or “wooden”. This phrase is commonly used to describe furniture crafted from wood.

What is the meaning and role of the adjective pesante in this sentence?

The adjective pesante means “heavy”. It directly describes the mobile (piece of furniture), indicating that it has considerable weight. In Italian, adjectives usually match the gender and number of the noun they modify, so pesante agrees with mobile (which is masculine singular).

How does the conjunction ma function in this sentence?

The word ma translates to “but” in English. It is used to introduce a contrast between two ideas. In this sentence, it sets up a switch from stating that the furniture is heavy to noting that it seems very sturdy, implying that despite its weight (which might be seen as a drawback), the furniture’s construction appears robust and reliable.

What does the verb sembra mean, and why is it used instead of a direct statement about sturdiness?