Learn Hardcore Italian: Lo spazio per giocare in giardino è grande. - The space for playing in the garden is big.

In Italian, lo is used for masculine singular nouns that begin with certain consonant clusters, like an s followed by another consonant (e.g., sp). Since spazio starts with sp, the correct article is lo rather than il.

How does the phrase per giocare in giardino function in the sentence?

The phrase per giocare in giardino acts as an adverbial phrase that explains the intended purpose and location of the space. Per giocare means "for playing," indicating what the space is meant to be used for, while in giardino tells us where this activity takes place.

Why is there no article before giardino in the expression in giardino?

In Italian, when referring to locations in a general or idiomatic sense, the article is often omitted. In giardino is a common expression meaning "in (the) garden," where the omission of the article makes the phrase sound more natural and fluid.

How does the adjective grande agree with the noun in the sentence?

The adjective grande describes the size of spazio. In Italian, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. Since spazio is a masculine singular noun—and grande remains the same in its masculine and feminine singular forms—it correctly matches lo spazio.

What is the overall structure of the sentence Lo spazio per giocare in giardino è grande?

The sentence follows a simple subject–predicate structure. The subject is Lo spazio per giocare in giardino, where spazio is modified by an infinitive phrase that provides purpose and location. The predicate, è grande, uses the verb essere (in its third person singular form è) to link the subject to the adjective grande, which describes its size.