L’albero fa ombra al tavolo.

The tree casts shade on the table.

Breakdown of L’albero fa ombra al tavolo.

• il tavolo: the table
• al: on
• l’albero: the tree
• fare ombra: to cast shade

Questions & Answers about L’albero fa ombra al tavolo.

Why is L’albero written with an apostrophe? Could I write Il albero?

In Italian, the definite article il becomes l’ before a noun beginning with a vowel. Since albero starts with a, il albero must contract to l’albero. You cannot write il albero; you always use l’albero in this case.

Why is there no article before ombra in fa ombra? Could we say fa l’ombra or fa un’ombra?

The construction fare + noun (for example fare ombra, fare rumore, fare danno) typically omits the article and means “to cause [that noun].” Saying fa l’ombra or fa un’ombra is less idiomatic. You might use fa un’ombra if you want to emphasize “it casts a small/a particular shadow,” but the standard expression is fa ombra.

What is the grammatical function of ombra in this sentence?

In L’albero fa ombra al tavolo, ombra is the direct object of the verb fare. The tree (subject) “makes” or “casts” shade (direct object) onto the table (indirect object).

What does al in al tavolo mean, and why is it used?