Learn Hardcore Italian: Siccome il giardino è tranquillo, leggo un libro. - Since the garden is quiet, I read a book.

Siccome translates to “since” or “because” in English. It is used to introduce a reason, indicating that the quietness of the garden is the cause for the action in the main clause.

Why is there a comma after tranquillo?

The comma separates the subordinate clause “Siccome il giardino è tranquillo” (which provides the reason) from the main clause “leggo un libro” (which states the action). This helps clarify the sentence structure by distinguishing between cause and effect.

What does the verb leggo indicate about the subject?

Leggo is the first person singular present indicative form of leggere (“to read”). In Italian, the subject pronoun (in this case, “I”) is often omitted because the verb ending clearly indicates the subject. Thus, leggo means “I read” or “I am reading.”

How does the adjective tranquillo agree with il giardino?

In Italian, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify. Since il giardino is masculine and singular, the adjective tranquillo is also in its masculine singular form.

Why might an Italian speaker choose siccome instead of other causal conjunctions like perché?

While both siccome and perché can indicate a reason, siccome is typically used when the cause (reason) is mentioned before the effect. In this sentence, the cause ("the garden is quiet") precedes the action ("I read a book"), making siccome an appropriate choice to highlight that causal relationship.