Vedo un uccello raro in giardino.

I see a rare bird in the garden.

Breakdown of Vedo un uccello raro in giardino.

• vedere: to see
• in: in
• il giardino: the garden
• l'uccello: the bird
• raro: rare

Questions & Answers about Vedo un uccello raro in giardino.

What does vedo mean in this sentence?

Vedo is the first person singular present form of the verb vedere, which means “I see”. It shows that the speaker is personally describing what they are observing.

Why is the adjective raro placed after the noun uccello instead of before it?

In Italian, adjectives that describe inherent characteristics or qualities usually follow the noun. In this sentence, placing raro after uccello is the standard order, though some adjectives can come before the noun for emphasis or stylistic reasons.

How can I tell that uccello is a masculine noun and that raro agrees with it?

The masculine indefinite article un is used before uccello, indicating it is a masculine noun. Consequently, the adjective raro appears in its masculine singular form to match uccello in both gender and number.

Why is there no definite article before giardino in the phrase in giardino?

Expressions of location in Italian, such as in giardino, often omit the article when referring generally to a place. This is similar to saying at school or in bed in English. If the sentence referred to a specific garden, you might see nel giardino (in + il), but for a general setting, the article is dropped.

Can the word order in this sentence be changed for emphasis without altering the meaning?

Yes, Italian word order can be flexible for emphasis. For example, placing the location first as in In giardino vedo un uccello raro shifts the focus to where the action takes place. Despite the change in emphasis, the overall meaning remains the same.