La mia amica canta una canzone allegra.

My friend sings a happy song.

Breakdown of La mia amica canta una canzone allegra.

• la mia: my
• cantare: to sing
• la canzone: the song
• l'amica: the friend
• allegro: happy

Questions & Answers about La mia amica canta una canzone allegra.

Why does the possessive adjective appear as mia with an "a" at the end?

In Italian, possessive adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Since amica is feminine and singular, mia (the feminine singular form of "my") is used instead of the masculine form.

What tense and form is the verb canta, and what does it indicate?

The verb canta is the third person singular form of cantare in the present indicative tense. It means "sings" and is used to describe a current or habitual action performed by the subject.

Why is the article una used before canzone?

Una is the indefinite article for feminine singular nouns in Italian. Because canzone ("song") is feminine, una is the correct article, similar to using "a" before a singular, non-specific noun in English.

Why does the adjective allegra end with an "a"?

The adjective allegra ends with an "a" to agree in gender and number with canzone, which is a feminine singular noun. In Italian, adjectives must match the noun they describe, so the ending changes according to gender and number.

How is the overall word order of the sentence structured?

The sentence follows a typical Italian word order: subject + verb + object. Here, La mia amica is the subject, canta is the verb, and una canzone allegra is the object with an adjective. This structure mirrors the English sentence "My friend sings a cheerful song."

Can adjectives in Italian sometimes come before the noun, and why is allegra placed after canzone here?

Yes, some adjectives can appear before the noun in Italian for emphasis or stylistic reasons. However, adjectives that describe inherent qualities—like allegra, which means "cheerful"—are typically positioned after the noun. This placement sounds more natural in Italian for describing a characteristic directly linked to the noun.

Why does the sentence use la with amica but una with canzone?

La is the definite article meaning "the," used here with amica to refer to a specific friend known to the speaker. In contrast, una is the indefinite article meaning "a," which is used with canzone to indicate a non-specific, any cheerful song rather than one known or previously mentioned.