Breakdown of Lei è una persona capace di risolvere i problemi in fretta.
essere
to be
di
of
in fretta
quickly
il problema
the problem
risolvere
to solve
lei
she
la persona
the person
capace
capable
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Questions & Answers about Lei è una persona capace di risolvere i problemi in fretta.
What does the phrase capace di mean, and why is the preposition di used after capace?
The adjective capace means "capable" or "able." In Italian, when you want to express someone's ability to do something, capace is followed by the preposition di plus an infinitive verb. In this sentence, capace di risolvere literally translates to "capable of solving," mirroring the English construction "able to solve."
Why is the infinitive risolvere used after capace di instead of a conjugated verb form?
In Italian, when an adjective describing ability (like capace) is used, the action that follows is expressed in the infinitive form. This construction is similar to English phrases such as "able to solve," where solve remains in its base form rather than being conjugated.
What is the function of the phrase in fretta in this sentence?
The phrase in fretta acts as an adverbial expression meaning "quickly" or "in a hurry." It describes how the person solves problems. Although Italian has other adverbs like velocemente or rapidamente, in fretta is a common, informal way to indicate speed.
Why is the definite article i used before problemi? Could it have been dei problemi instead?
The definite article i is used to refer to problems in a general sense, implying all or the usual types of problems one might encounter. Using i problemi gives the sentence a universal feel, as opposed to dei problemi which suggests "some problems" and might imply a subset rather than a general category. This generalization is common in Italian when making broad statements.
How should I interpret Lei at the beginning of the sentence? Does it mean "she" or is it a formal address?
Lei can serve a dual purpose in Italian. It can mean "she" when referring to a female third person, or it can be used as a formal second-person singular pronoun when addressing someone politely. In this sentence, given the context and structure, it likely means "she." Moreover, since Lei is the first word of the sentence, it is capitalized; in formal letters, even when addressing someone, Lei is customarily written with a capital letter.
Is there an alternative way to express the same idea in Italian?
Yes, you could rephrase the sentence as "Lei è abile nel risolvere rapidamente i problemi." This version uses abile (meaning "skillful") and the adverb rapidamente ("quickly") to convey a very similar meaning. Both sentences express the idea that she is capable of solving problems efficiently.