Learn Hardcore Italian: Dopo ogni canzone, l’applauso è fortissimo. - After each song, the applause is very loud.

In Italian, singular countable and uncountable nouns usually require a definite article. Here l’applauso refers to “the applause” as a phenomenon. Without l’ it would sound odd or incomplete: you need the article to talk about “the applause” in general.

Why is applauso singular instead of plural applausi?

Italian often uses the singular to describe a collective event. Each round of clapping after a song is considered one applauso. Plural gli applausi would emphasize individual hand-claps or multiple discrete rounds, whereas the singular treats it as one unified response each time.

Could we say Gli applausi sono fortissimi instead?

Yes, you could. This version focuses more on “the (multiple) claps are very loud” (plural). The original singular highlights the applause as a single, powerful event after each song. Both are grammatically correct but slightly shift the nuance.

What does fortissimo mean, and why not molto forte?

fortissimo is the absolute superlative of forte (“loud”). It literally means “very, very loud” or “extremely loud.” Instead of using molto + forte, Italian often uses the suffix -issimo to intensify an adjective. It sounds more emphatic and idiomatic: fortissimo > molto forte.

Why is it fortissimo and not fortissima?

Adjectives in Italian agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. l’applauso is masculine singular, so the superlative is fortissimo (masc. sing.). If the noun were feminine plural, you’d use fortissime, and so on.

Why is there a comma after canzone?

The comma separates the introductory time phrase Dopo ogni canzone (“After each song”) from the main clause l’applauso è fortissimo. It makes the sentence clearer by marking that the first part is a setting of time.

Why is the noun singular after ogni?

ogni is a distributive adjective and is always followed by a singular noun. It means “each” or “every,” so you say ogni canzone, not ogni canzoni.

Could the sentence word order change? For example, L’applauso è fortissimo dopo ogni canzone?

Yes, you can. Italian allows flexibility in word order. Putting the main clause first and then the time expression is fine, but starting with Dopo ogni canzone (as in the original) emphasizes the timing and sets the context right away.