ELONIO
Log inSign up

Il medico salva il bambino.

Il medico salva il bambino.
The doctor saves the child.
FromLesson 26inHardcore Italian

Breakdown of Il medico salva il bambino.

il bambino
the child
il medico
the doctor
salvare
to save

Questions & Answers about Il medico salva il bambino.

Why are the definite articles il used before medico and bambino in Il medico salva il bambino?

In Italian, singular countable nouns typically require a definite article, even when referring to a profession or a person in general. English often drops “the” (“Doctor saves child”), but Italian does not. Hence:

  • il medico = “the doctor”
  • il bambino = “the child”
Why is there no subject pronoun like lui (he) before salva?
Italian is a “pro-drop” (null-subject) language: the verb ending -a in salva already signals 3rd-person singular. You can add lui or lei for emphasis (Lui salva il bambino), but it’s not required in everyday speech.
How do you conjugate the verb salvare (to save) in the present tense?

Salvare is a regular -are verb. Present-tense forms are:

  • io salvo
  • tu salvi
  • lui/lei salva
  • noi salviamo
  • voi salvate
  • loro salvano

In Il medico salva…, salva is the lui/lei form.

How can you replace il bambino with a pronoun?

Use the masculine singular direct-object pronoun lo. You place it before the verb:

  • Il medico lo salva.
    This means “The doctor saves him/the child.”
What’s the difference between medico and dottore when talking about a doctor?
  • medico refers specifically to a medical professional (physician).
  • dottore is a more general title used for anyone with a university degree, or as a polite form of address.
    In a hospital context you’ll usually say il medico, while patients often address their physician as dottore.
How do you say “A doctor saves a child” instead of “The doctor…”?

Use the indefinite article un (masculine singular before consonants):

  • Un medico salva un bambino.
    This literally means “A doctor saves a child.”
How would you turn Il medico salva il bambino into the passive voice?

You have two common options:

  1. Simple passive with essere:
    Il bambino è salvato dal medico.
  2. Periphrastic passive with venire:
    Il bambino viene salvato dal medico.
    In both cases dal is da
    • il (“by the”).
How do you make the whole sentence plural?

Change articles, nouns and the verb to plural:

  • I medici salvano i bambini.
    Here il → i, medico → medici, salva → salvano, bambino → bambini.
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Italian grammar?”
Italian grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Italian

Master Italian — from Il medico salva il bambino to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Open the Italian course →