Question 1

Why does l’applauso have an apostrophe in front of applauso?

Accepted Answer

In Italian, when the definite article il comes before a noun that starts with a vowel (like applauso), you drop the “i” and replace it with an apostrophe. This process is called elision. So il applauso → l’ + applauso = l’applauso.

Question 2

Why is the verb è written with a grave accent?

Accepted Answer

The word è (with a grave accent) is the third‑person singular of the verb essere (“he/she/it is”). The accent distinguishes it from the conjunction e (“and”), which has no accent. Without the accent, you couldn’t tell them apart in writing.

Question 3

Why is the adjective gentile placed after the noun suono instead of before?

Accepted Answer

In Italian, the neutral or most common position for descriptive adjectives is after the noun. So you normally say un suono gentile. Placing an adjective before the noun can add emphasis, convey emotion or a poetic tone, but the default word order is noun → adjective.

Question 4

Does gentile change form for masculine/feminine or singular/plural?

Accepted Answer

Yes, gentile is an adjective of the “two endings” type:  
- Singular (masculine and feminine): gentile  
- Plural (masculine and feminine): gentili  
Because suono is masculine singular, you use gentile here.

Question 5

Why is applauso singular in this sentence, while in English we say “applause” as an uncountable noun?

Accepted Answer

Italian treats applauso as a countable noun meaning “a round of applause” or “an applause.” You can say due applausi (“two rounds of applause”) if you like. English uses “applause” as a mass (uncountable) noun, but Italian usually marks number on it.

Question 6

How do you pronounce L’applauso? Which syllable carries the stress?

Accepted Answer

You say it as /lapˈplauzo/:  
- The “l’” merges with the following consonant sound.  
- The doubled pp gives a short pause/emphasis before p.  
- Stress is on the second syllable: ap-PLAU-so.

Question 7

What’s the gender of applauso and suono? How do you recognize it?

Accepted Answer

Both words end in -o, which is a clear marker of masculine gender in Italian. Therefore they take masculine articles and agree with masculine adjectives (e.g. l’applauso gentile, il suono forte).

Question 8

Could I use another adjective instead of gentile to describe a “gentle sound”? What’s the difference between gentile and delicato?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Gentile suggests something warm‑hearted, soft or mild, almost personifying the sound. Delicato focuses on something delicate, subtle or fine.  
- un suono gentile → a gentle, kind‑feeling sound  
- un suono delicato → a delicate, refined or subtle sound

L’applauso è un suono gentile.

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