Breakdown of Il libro dorato è sul tavolo.
essere
to be
su
on
il tavolo
the table
il libro
the book
dorato
golden
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Questions & Answers about Il libro dorato è sul tavolo.
What is il and why is it used here instead of lo or l’?
il is the masculine singular definite article in Italian. You use il before most consonants (e.g. il libro, il gatto).
lo is reserved for masculine singular nouns beginning with s+consonant (lo studente), z (lo zaino), ps, gn, x, y or pn;
l’ appears before any vowel (l’amico, l’ora).
Why does dorato come after the noun instead of before like in English?
In Italian, most descriptive adjectives normally follow the noun they modify. Placing dorato after libro makes it a straightforward descriptive adjective (“the book that is golden/gilded”). If you move it before, you change the nuance or make it more poetic/emphatic.
What does the ending -ato in dorato signify?
-ato is the typical ending for the past participle of verbs in the -are conjugation (here from dorare, “to gild”). As an adjective, dorato literally means “gilded” or “golden.” It’s treated like any other adjective and agrees in gender/number with the noun.
Why is su contracted to sul?
Italian prepositions often fuse with definite articles. Here su (“on/above”) + il = sul. Other examples:
- su + lo = sullo
- su + la = sulla
- su + l’ = sull’
- su + i = sui
- su + gli = sugli
- su + le = sulle
Why do we need è? Could we say Il libro dorato sul tavolo without it?
È is the third-person singular of essere (“to be”). In Italian, you must include a linking verb to form a complete sentence describing location. Without è, you only have a noun phrase, not a full clause.
How does adjective–noun agreement work here? How would it change for multiple books or a feminine noun?
Italian adjectives agree in gender and number with their nouns.
- Masculine singular: il libro dorato
- Masculine plural: i libri dorati
- Feminine singular: la penna dorata
- Feminine plural: le penne dorate
Is it acceptable to place the adjective before the noun, as in il dorato libro?
Grammatically it’s possible, but non-standard for a simple descriptive adjective. Putting dorato before libro often adds poetic or emphatic flavor. In everyday speech and writing, you’ll almost always see il libro dorato.