Breakdown of Lei dice che il libro è interessante.
essere
to be
il libro
the book
interessante
interesting
che
that
lei
she
dire
to say
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Questions & Answers about Lei dice che il libro è interessante.
What does the verb dice mean in this sentence, and what is its tense?
The verb dice comes from dire and means "says." It is in the present indicative, third person singular form, indicating that the action of saying is happening in the present.
What is the function of the word che in this sentence?
Che acts as a conjunction meaning "that." It introduces a subordinate clause by linking the main clause (Lei dice) to the subordinate clause (il libro è interessante), which reports what is being said.
Why is the adjective interessante placed after the noun libro?
In Italian, adjectives that describe a characteristic or a common quality of a noun usually follow the noun. Here, "il libro interessante" follows the typical word order. Placing the adjective before the noun can sometimes imply a subjective or emphasized quality, but for a straightforward description, the adjective comes after.
Is it necessary to include the subject pronoun Lei in Italian sentences like this?
No, Italian often allows the subject pronoun to be dropped because the verb conjugation clearly indicates the subject. However, Lei is included here for clarity or emphasis, ensuring that it is understood that the speaker being referred to is female.
Do we need a comma before che in this type of reported speech sentence?
No, a comma is not necessary before che when it introduces a subordinate clause in Italian. The sentence "Lei dice che il libro è interessante" is correctly punctuated without a comma.
Can you explain the overall structure of the sentence "Lei dice che il libro è interessante"?
Certainly. The sentence consists of two parts: a main clause and a subordinate clause. The main clause is "Lei dice," where Lei is the subject and dice is the verb meaning "says." The subordinate clause is "che il libro è interessante," introduced by che (meaning "that"), which serves as the object of the verb, reporting what is being said. This structure is typical for forming reported speech in Italian.