La nonna ride in giardino.

The grandmother laughs in the garden.

Breakdown of La nonna ride in giardino.

• in: in
• il giardino: the garden
• ridere: to laugh
• la nonna: the grandmother

Questions & Answers about La nonna ride in giardino.

What does the verb ride mean in this sentence, and how is it conjugated?

Ride is the third-person singular present form of the verb ridere, which means to laugh. It is used here because la nonna (grandma) is the subject, and the verb form agrees with that subject in both person and number.

Why is the definite article la used with nonna in Italian?

In Italian, it is common to use a definite article with family member terms. So, la nonna translates to grandma (or literally, the grandmother). This usage helps clarify the relationship and is a standard feature of Italian when talking about close relatives.

What role does the phrase in giardino play in the sentence, and why is there no article before giardino?

The phrase in giardino functions as an adverbial phrase of place, meaning in the garden. Italian often drops the definite article in common locative expressions (similar to saying at home instead of in the home). Thus, for common places like gardens, churches, or schools, in giardino is the typical form.

Could you explain the overall sentence structure of La nonna ride in giardino?

Certainly! The sentence follows a basic subject–verb–adverbial phrase structure. La nonna is the subject performing the action, ride is the verb describing the action of laughing, and in giardino tells us where the action takes place. This order is very similar to English, making the sentence relatively easy to understand for English speakers.

Sometimes I see nel giardino instead of in giardino. When would the contraction be used, and why isn’t it used here?

Both in giardino and nel giardino (which is a contraction of in + il giardino) can be correct. The form in giardino is often used to express a general location in a more idiomatic way, whereas nel giardino might be used when referring to a specific garden, emphasizing that it is the garden in question. In our sentence, the focus is on the general setting rather than a specific, defined garden, so the article is omitted.