La linea è lunga.

to be

Breakdown of La linea è lunga.

• lunga: long
• la linea: the line

Questions & Answers about La linea è lunga.

What does the sentence "La linea è lunga" translate to in English?

It translates directly to "The line is long."

How is the sentence structured in terms of subject, verb, and predicate?

The sentence follows a simple subject-linking verb-adjective structure. "La linea" is the subject (with "la" as the feminine definite article and "linea" meaning "line"), "è" is the third person singular present form of "essere" (to be), and "lunga" is the predicate adjective describing the noun.

Why is the adjective "lunga" placed after the subject instead of before it?

In Italian, when using the verb "essere" to describe a subject, the adjective naturally follows the subject. Although adjectives can sometimes appear before the noun for stylistic or emphatic reasons, in this construction—where "è" connects the subject to its description—the adjective is placed after the subject.

What role does the definite article "la" play in this sentence?

"La" is the feminine singular definite article in Italian, equivalent to "the" in English. It precedes the noun "linea" to clearly indicate that the noun is being specified, and it also confirms the gender and number (feminine, singular) of the noun.

What function does the verb "è" serve in "La linea è lunga"?