Il film è corto.

The film is short.

Breakdown of Il film è corto.

• essere: to be
• il film: the film
• corto: short

Questions & Answers about Il film è corto.

What does each word in Il film è corto mean?

Il means the and is the masculine singular definite article. Film is the noun meaning film (used in the same way as in English). È is the third person singular present form of the verb essere, which means to be. Corto is an adjective meaning short, and it agrees in gender and number with the masculine singular noun film.

Why is the adjective corto used instead of corta?

In Italian, adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in both gender and number. Since film is a masculine singular noun, the adjective takes its masculine singular form corto rather than the feminine form corta.

What is the function of the verb è in this sentence?

The verb è is the third person singular present tense form of essere (to be). It acts as a linking verb that connects the subject (Il film) with its description (corto).

How does the word order in Italian compare to English in this sentence?

In Italian, adjectives like corto usually come after the noun or the linking verb. In English, adjectives typically appear before the noun (as in the short film). Thus, while English uses a pre-nominal adjective, Italian in this sentence places the adjective following the noun and verb.