Breakdown of La voce di mia madre è dolce.
essere
to be
di
of
la mia
my
la madre
the mother
dolce
sweet
la voce
the voice
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Questions & Answers about La voce di mia madre è dolce.
What is the overall structure of the sentence "La voce di mia madre è dolce"?
The sentence follows a Subject – Verb – Predicate (Adjective) pattern. Here, "La voce di mia madre" is the subject (with its possession expressed by the prepositional phrase "di mia madre"), "è" is the linking verb, and "dolce" is the predicate adjective describing the subject.
How does the phrase "di mia madre" indicate possession in this sentence?
The preposition di functions much like the English "of" to show a relationship between two nouns. In this case, it links "la voce" (the voice) to "mia madre" (my mother), effectively conveying the idea of "my mother's voice." It’s a common construction in Italian to express possession without using a possessive form attached directly to the noun.
Why is the definite article la used with "voce" but not with "mia madre"?
In Italian, the definite article la is used with the noun voce to specify "the voice." However, when referring to family members or close relations with a possessive adjective (such as mia), the article is typically omitted. Thus, "mia madre" is used instead of adding another article before "madre."
How does the adjective dolce agree with the noun it describes, and why does it remain unchanged?
The adjective dolce can be used for both masculine and feminine singular nouns without any change in form. Since voce is a feminine singular noun, dolce naturally agrees with it. Additionally, as a predicate adjective following the linking verb è, it describes the subject without requiring further modification.
What role does the verb è play in this sentence?
The verb è is the third-person singular present form of essere (to be). It serves as a linking verb, connecting the subject ("La voce di mia madre") with its descriptive predicate ("dolce"). This construction is typical for forming descriptive sentences in Italian.