Breakdown of L’attore principale entra in scena con un grande applauso.
entrare
to enter
in
in
con
with
grande
great
principale
main
l'attore
the actor
la scena
the scene
l'applauso
the applause
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Questions & Answers about L’attore principale entra in scena con un grande applauso.
Why is there an apostrophe in l’attore?
Italian uses elision to avoid two vowels clashing. The masculine singular definite article lo becomes l’ before a word starting with a vowel. So lo attore contracts to l’attore, and the apostrophe marks the dropped “o.”
Why is the verb entra in the present tense instead of a past tense?
This is an example of the historical present (or theatrical present). Italian often uses the simple present to make descriptions or stage directions more vivid and immediate. If you wanted to speak of a past event, you could say L’attore principale è entrato in scena… (present perfect) or L’attore principale entrò in scena… (passato remoto).
What does entra in scena mean, and can I say salire sul palco instead?
Entra in scena literally means “enters into the scene” and is the standard theatrical idiom for making an entrance.
- Salire sul palco (“to go up on the stage”) is also correct but is more general—it focuses on physically climbing onto the platform called palco, not necessarily on joining the dramatic action.
Why is it con un grande applauso? Could I use a different preposition or expression?
Using con indicates accompaniment: the actor enters accompanied by a big burst of applause. You could also say:
- tra grandi applausi (“among great applause”)
- viene accolto da un grande applauso (“is welcomed by a great applause”)
Each option is correct; they just paint slightly different pictures of how the applause surrounds or greets him.
Why is applauso singular here? Could I use applausi (plural)?
In Italian, un applauso often denotes the entire collective burst of clapping—much like English applause (uncountable). If you want to stress multiple rounds or individual claps, you can use the plural applausi.
- un applauso fragoroso = one big, thunderous round of applause
- grandi applausi = enthusiastic, repeated applause
Why is principale used here? Can I say protagonista instead?
- attore principale literally means “lead actor.”
- protagonista by itself often refers to the main character or lead actor.
You could say il protagonista entra in scena… and mean much the same thing. However, attore principale emphasizes the performer’s status, while protagonista can emphasize the character’s central role in the story.
Why is grande placed before applauso instead of after? Does that change the meaning?
Although most Italian adjectives follow the noun, some—including grande—commonly precede it to add emphasis or form fixed expressions.
- un grande applauso (idiomatic, emphasizes intensity or importance)
- un applauso grande (grammatical but awkward and rare)