Learn Hardcore Italian: Nel laboratorio di chimica abbiamo iniziato un esperimento semplice ma utile. - In the chemistry laboratory we started a simple but useful experiment.

nel is the contraction of in + il, meaning in the. In Italian, when in (meaning “in”) is followed by the masculine singular definite article il, you combine them into nel. So nel laboratorio means in the laboratory.

Why is it laboratorio di chimica instead of laboratorio chimico?

In laboratorio di chimica, chimica is a noun (“chemistry”) introduced by the preposition di to mean “laboratory of chemistry.” If you say laboratorio chimico, chimico is an adjective meaning “chemical,” so it’d be “chemical laboratory” (a lab that handles chemicals), which is a slightly different nuance.

What tense is abbiamo iniziato and how do we form it?

abbiamo iniziato is the passato prossimo (present perfect) tense. You form it with the present-tense of avere (to have) plus the past participle of the main verb. Here, avere → abbiamo (we have) + iniziato (started) = “we have started” (i.e. “we started”).

Why is the indefinite article un used before esperimento and not uno?

In Italian, un is used before masculine singular nouns that begin with a vowel or most consonants. uno is only used before masculine singular nouns that begin with s + consonant, z, ps, pn, gn, x, y. Since esperimento begins with a vowel (e), you use un esperimento.

Could you use cominciare instead of iniziare here? Are they interchangeable?

Yes, cominciare and iniziare are near-synonyms and both can mean “to start.” You could say abbiamo cominciato un esperimento without changing the meaning. Some speakers feel cominciare is a bit more colloquial, while iniziare can sound slightly more formal, but in practice they’re interchangeable here.

Why are both semplice and utile unchanged for gender here?

Both adjectives end in -e in the singular. Italian adjectives ending in -e have the same form for masculine and feminine singular: semplice (simple) and utile (useful). In the plural, they both become -i (e.g. semplici, utili).

What role does ma play between the two adjectives?

ma is a coordinating conjunction meaning but. It links semplice and utile, creating a slight contrast: “simple but useful.” Without ma you’d just have a list of qualities; ma emphasizes the unexpected or contrasting aspect.

Can the adjectives semplice ma utile come before esperimento, and is word order flexible?

Yes, you could say un semplice ma utile esperimento. Italian allows some flexibility: attributive adjectives often follow the noun (esperimento semplice), but putting them before (semplice esperimento) can add emphasis or a stylistic nuance. Here both orders are correct, though the post-noun position is more neutral.