L'insegnante scrive una parola nuova sulla lavagna.

The teacher writes a new word on the blackboard.

Breakdown of L'insegnante scrive una parola nuova sulla lavagna.

• su: on
• nuovo: new
• l'insegnante: the teacher
• scrivere: to write

Questions & Answers about L'insegnante scrive una parola nuova sulla lavagna.

Why is there an apostrophe in L’insegnante instead of writing La insegnante?

Italian articles la (feminine singular definite) and una (feminine singular indefinite) drop the final vowel when the following word begins with a vowel, to avoid a vowel clash (hiatus). You replace the dropped vowel with an apostrophe.
• la insegnante → l’ + insegnante = l’insegnante
• The same happens with una amica → un’amica

Is l’insegnante masculine or feminine?

The noun insegnante ends in -e and can be either masculine or feminine. The elided article l’ originally stands for il (masculine) or la (feminine), but you can’t tell gender from l’insegnante alone. Context usually clarifies, or you might add adjectives/pronouns:
• Il / la mia insegnante
• L’insegnante maschio / femmina (rarely used)

What tense is scrive, and how do you say “is writing”?

Scrive is the third person singular present indicative of scrivere (to write). In Italian the simple present covers both the English “writes” and “is writing.” If you want to stress that the action is in progress right now, you use the periphrastic present continuous:
• Sta scrivendo – “(He/She) is writing.”