La sua bicicletta è nuova.

to be

Breakdown of La sua bicicletta è nuova.

• la bicicletta: the bicycle
• nuovo: new
• la sua: her

Questions & Answers about La sua bicicletta è nuova.

What does each word in La sua bicicletta è nuova mean?

La is the feminine singular definite article meaning "the." Sua is a possessive adjective that can translate as "his" or "her" (its exact meaning depends on context). Bicicletta means "bicycle." È is the third-person singular form of the verb essere (to be), meaning "is." Nuova is an adjective meaning "new," and it is in the feminine singular form to agree with bicicletta.

Why is the definite article la used in this sentence?

The article la is used because bicicletta is a feminine noun in Italian. Since Italian articles must agree in gender and number with the noun they precede, the feminine singular article la is required here instead of il or another form.

Why does the adjective nuova end with -a?

Adjectives in Italian must agree with the noun they modify in both gender and number. Because bicicletta is feminine and singular, the adjective adopts the feminine singular ending -a to become nuova.

What does the possessive adjective sua indicate, and can its meaning vary?