Lei è una persona capace di risolvere i problemi in fretta.

to be

Breakdown of Lei è una persona capace di risolvere i problemi in fretta.

• di: of
• in fretta: quickly
• il problema: the problem

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?