Cancello la scritta dalla lavagna con un panno.
I erase the writing from the blackboard with a cloth.
Questions & Answers about Cancello la scritta dalla lavagna con un panno.
What does cancello mean and what is its infinitive?
Cancello is the first person singular present indicative of the verb cancellare, which means “to erase” or “to remove.” Here it literally means “I erase.”
Is cancello ever a noun I should watch out for?
Yes. Spelled the same way, cancello can also be a masculine noun meaning “gate.” In this sentence you know it’s a verb because it’s conjugated (it changes form depending on the subject) and is followed by a direct object (la scritta).
Why is there la before scritta? Is it an article or a pronoun?
Here la is the feminine singular definite article modifying scritta, so la scritta means “the writing” or “the inscription.” It is not a direct-object pronoun in this case.
What exactly is a scritta?
Scritta is a feminine noun derived from the past participle of scrivere. It refers to something written (e.g. lettering, inscription). The masculine form scritto also exists, but since scritta is feminine it matches la scritta.
Why is da + la contracted into ?