Breakdown of Il profumo dei fiori lungo la strada rende il viaggio più piacevole.
di
of
il fiore
the flower
piacevole
pleasant
rendere
to make
più
more
il viaggio
the trip
lungo
along
la strada
the road
il profumo
the scent
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Questions & Answers about Il profumo dei fiori lungo la strada rende il viaggio più piacevole.
What does profumo dei fiori literally mean?
Literally, profumo means fragrance or perfume, and dei fiori is of the flowers. Put together it gives fragrance of the flowers (i.e. the flowers’ scent).
Why is dei fiori used instead of delle fiori?
Because fiori (flowers) is a masculine plural noun (i fiori), and di + i contracts to dei. Delle is used with feminine plural nouns (di + le).
What function does lungo have in lungo la strada?
Lungo is a preposition meaning along. So lungo la strada means along the road.
Can we say sulla strada instead of lungo la strada?
You could say sulla strada (literally on the road), but that emphasizes being on the surface of the road. Lungo la strada emphasizes moving or located along its length.
What is the role of rende in this sentence?
Rende is the 3rd person singular present of rendere (to make). Here it means makes: it makes the trip more pleasant.
Why not use fa instead of rende?
You can use fa (from fare, to do/make). Saying fa il viaggio più piacevole is perfectly correct and more colloquial. Rendere often sounds slightly more formal or literary.
Why is più piacevole used instead of più piacevolmente?
Più piacevole is an adjective modifying viaggio (a noun). Più piacevolmente is an adverb modifying a verb. Since we’re describing the trip, we need an adjective.
Could you use un viaggio instead of il viaggio, and why is il used?
Yes, un viaggio means a trip in general. Using il viaggio (the trip) is typical in Italian to make a generic statement—Italian often uses the definite article with nouns in general assertions.
Why is profumo chosen instead of odore in this context?
Profumo implies a pleasant smell or scent (fragrance), whereas odore is neutral and can be unpleasant (odor). Because we’re talking about a nice scent, profumo is used.
What if we move lungo la strada to the beginning—Lungo la strada il profumo dei fiori rende il viaggio più piacevole? Is that okay?
Yes, it’s perfectly grammatical. Placing lungo la strada at the start adds emphasis on along the road, but the overall meaning remains the same.