Il problema è complicato.

to be

Breakdown of Il problema è complicato.

• il problema: the problem
• complicato: complicated

Questions & Answers about Il problema è complicato.

Why does the masculine article il go with problema even though the noun ends in -a?

In Italian, some nouns ending in -a are masculine because of their Greek or Latin origins. Problema is one of these exceptions; it remains masculine and therefore takes the masculine article il.

What role does è play in the sentence Il problema è complicato?

È is the third-person singular form of the verb essere (to be). It functions as a linking verb, connecting the subject il problema with the predicate adjective complicato, which describes the subject.

How does the adjective complicato agree with the noun in this sentence?

Adjectives in Italian must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Since problema is a masculine singular noun (despite its -a ending), complicato is also in the masculine singular form. If the noun were feminine, the adjective would change accordingly (for example, to complicata).

Is the placement of complicato typical for adjectives in Italian sentences?