Learn Hardcore Italian: Il figlio minore ride.

In Italian, subject pronouns are often dropped because the verb ending clearly indicates who is performing the action. Here, ride is the third-person singular form of ridere, so it’s understood that il figlio (the son) is the subject.

What does minore mean in this context?

Minore generally means "younger" or "the youngest" when referring to family members. In this sentence, it indicates that the son mentioned is the youngest among his siblings.

Why is the definite article il used before figlio?

Il is the standard masculine singular definite article in Italian. Since figlio is a masculine noun and is singular, il is used to mean "the," making the phrase il figlio translate to "the son."

Which tense is the verb ride in, and what does that tell us about the action?

The verb ride is in the present indicative tense of ridere. This indicates that the action is either happening right now, is a habitual action, or expresses a general truth—in this case, that the youngest son laughs.

How is the word order structured in this sentence, and is it typical in Italian?

The sentence follows the order: [Definite Article] + [Noun] + [Adjective] + [Verb]. In Italian, adjectives like minore typically follow the noun they modify. This structure is very common and helps to clearly describe figlio by specifying which son is being referred to.

How would you form the plural version of this sentence?

To form the plural, all related words must agree in number. Il becomes i, figlio becomes figli, minore becomes minori, and ride becomes ridono (the third-person plural form of ridere). The plural sentence is: I figli minori ridono.