Learn Hardcore Italian: La cornice dorata rende il quadro ancora più elegante. - The golden frame makes the painting even more elegant.

In Italian most descriptive adjectives follow the noun they modify. Cornice is a feminine singular noun, so the adjective must agree in gender and number, becoming dorata (feminine singular of dorato).

What does rende mean in this sentence, and why is it used here?

Rende is the third-person singular present of rendere, which means “to make” or “to render.” Here it expresses that the golden frame makes the painting more elegant: La cornice dorata rende il quadro elegante.

Why is the present tense used (“rende”) instead of another tense?

The present tense is used to state a general truth or characteristic. It implies that whenever a painting has a golden frame, it makes the painting more elegant, as a habitual or timeless fact.

What role does ancora play in ancora più elegante?

Ancora adds emphasis and means “even” or “still.” Combined with più, ancora più elegante translates as “even more elegant,” indicating an additional degree of elegance.

Could you use elegantissimo instead of ancora più elegante?

Yes, you could say il quadro diventa elegantissimo (“the painting becomes very/most elegant”). However, ancora più elegante specifically highlights that the frame increases the painting’s elegance further compared to its previous state.

Why are the nouns preceded by the definite articles la and il?

Italian uses definite articles when referring to specific, identifiable items. Here both the frame and the painting are particular objects known in the context, so we say la cornice and il quadro rather than omitting the article.

Can rende take a direct object and an adjective like this in other cases?

Yes. Rendere often follows the pattern rendere + direct object + adjective (e.g., Il silenzio rende l’atmosfera più misteriosa – “The silence makes the atmosphere more mysterious”). The structure is very common to express “making something a certain way.”