Learn Hardcore Italian: La linea è lunga.

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"?

The verb "è" is the third person singular form of "essere" (to be). It acts as a linking verb, connecting the subject ("la linea") to its predicate adjective ("lunga"), thereby expressing a state or quality of the subject.

How does adjective agreement work in this sentence?

Italian adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. In this case, "linea" is a feminine singular noun, so the adjective "lunga" is also in the feminine singular form. If the noun were masculine, the adjective would change accordingly (for example, "lungo").