Il turista trova la strada per la città.

The tourist finds the road to the city.

Breakdown of Il turista trova la strada per la città.

• trovare: to find
• la città: the city
• per: for
• il turista: the tourist
• la strada: the road

Questions & Answers about Il turista trova la strada per la città.

What is the function of the article il in Il turista?

The article il is the masculine singular definite article in Italian and functions much like the English word "the." It signals that turista is being used in its masculine form. Even though turista can refer to either gender, the article clarifies that in this sentence a male tourist is meant.

Why is the verb form trova used in this sentence?

Trova is the third person singular present tense form of the verb trovare, which means "to find." It agrees with the subject Il turista, indicating that the action is happening in the present. This form is used because the sentence describes what the tourist is currently doing.

What role does the phrase la strada per la città play in the sentence, and how does per function within it?

The phrase la strada per la città serves as the direct object of the verb trova. The noun strada means "road" or "way," and the prepositional phrase per la città specifies its destination, translating to "to/for the city." Here, per is used to indicate direction or purpose, showing which specific road is being found.

How can I determine that turista refers to a male tourist and not a female tourist?

The gender is indicated by the definite article that precedes it. In this case, il is the masculine article, so il turista clearly refers to a male tourist. If the sentence intended to refer to a female tourist, it would use la turista instead.

Is it necessary to include the definite article with nouns like strada in Italian, and why is it used here?

Yes, in Italian it is common (and often required) to include the definite article with singular nouns to denote specificity. In this sentence, la strada means "the road," implying that a particular road—with a clear destination—is being referred to. Omitting the article would change the nuance and could lead to ambiguity.

Can the prepositional phrase per la città be moved elsewhere in the sentence without changing its meaning?

Italian word order is somewhat flexible, but care must be taken when rearranging phrases. Typically, placing per la città immediately after la strada makes it clear that the prepositional phrase is modifying la strada. While you might reposition it for emphasis in more complex sentences, doing so in simpler constructions like this might lead to confusion or alter the intended flow.