Il medico parla con calma al paziente.

The doctor speaks calmly to the patient.

Breakdown of Il medico parla con calma al paziente.

• il medico: the doctor
• parlare: to speak
• al: to
• il paziente: the patient
• con calma: calmly

Questions & Answers about Il medico parla con calma al paziente.

Why is parla used here, and what does it mean?

Parla is the third-person singular present indicative form of the verb parlare (“to speak”).
– It literally means “he/she/it speaks,” so in this sentence “Il medico parla…” means “The doctor speaks…” or “The doctor is speaking…”.

What does con calma mean, and why not use calmamente?

Con calma literally means “with calm” and functions as an adverbial phrase: “calmly” or “in a calm manner.”
– Italian often uses con + noun to express manner (e.g. con gioia “joyfully,” con attenzione “attentively”).
– While calmamente exists, it’s less common in everyday speech. Con calma is more idiomatic and frequent.

Why is al paziente used, and how does al form?

Here paziente is the indirect object (“to the patient”).
– In Italian parlare (in the sense of “speak to”) requires the preposition a.
– A + il contracts to al, so al paziente = “to the patient.”

Could we say parla col paziente instead? Would it mean the same thing?

You could say col paziente (col = con + il), but it shifts the nuance:
– Parla col paziente = “he speaks with the patient” (implying a two-way conversation or dialogue).
– Parla al paziente = “he speaks to the patient” (more like delivering information to the patient).

Why are there definite articles (il) before medico and paziente?

In Italian, singular, non-modified professions and roles generally take a definite article.
– You say il dottore, la professoressa, il paziente, etc.
– Omitting the article (e.g. just medico parla…) would sound ungrammatical in standard Italian.

Can the word order change? For example, Il medico parla al paziente con calma versus Il medico parla con calma al paziente.

Yes. Italian allows some flexibility in placing adverbial phrases:
– Il medico parla con calma al paziente
– Il medico parla al paziente con calma
Both are correct. The meaning remains the same, though placing con calma earlier can slightly emphasize the manner.

Are there synonyms to con calma to express the same idea?

Yes, you can use various adverbs or phrases:
– tranquillamente (tranquilly)
– pacatamente (peacefully)
– lentamente (slowly, if you want to stress slowness)
– piano (informal: “gently/slowly”)
– senza fretta (“without hurry”)

In this sentence, is paziente a noun or an adjective?

Here paziente is a noun meaning “patient” (the person receiving medical care).
– Note: paziente can also be an adjective meaning “patient” (as in “tolerant”), but that’s not the case in al paziente.