Vedo il sole sorgere sulla montagna.

I see the sun rise on the mountain.

Breakdown of Vedo il sole sorgere sulla montagna.

• io: I
• su: on
• vedere: to see
• la montagna: the mountain

Questions & Answers about Vedo il sole sorgere sulla montagna.

Why is sorgere in the infinitive form instead of a conjugated form like sorge?

After perception verbs such as vedere, Italian generally uses the infinitive to express the action you perceive. Hence vedo il sole sorgere literally means “I see the sun rise.” If you want a finite verb you can turn it into a subordinate clause:
• vedo che il sole sorge sulla montagna
Both convey the same idea, but the infinitive version is more streamlined.

What tense and mood is vedo, and why is it used here?

Vedo is the first person singular, present indicative of vedere (to see). It describes a present, ongoing perception. In Italian the simple present often covers what English expresses with the present continuous, so vedo can mean both “I see” and “I am seeing.”

Why is sulla written as a single word?

Sulla is the contraction of the preposition su (on) plus the feminine singular definite article la (the). So:
• su + la montagna → sulla montagna
meaning “on the mountain.”

Could I say vedo che il sole sorge sulla montagna instead?

Yes. By adding che you create a subordinate clause:
• vedo che il sole sorge sulla montagna
This is perfectly correct and emphasizes the clause. The infinitive structure (vedo il sole sorgere) is just a more concise alternative.