Il pranzo è finito.

to be

Breakdown of Il pranzo è finito.

• il pranzo: the lunch
• finito: finished

Questions & Answers about Il pranzo è finito.

Why is there a definite article before pranzo? In English we say “Lunch is over,” not “The lunch is over.”

In Italian you almost always use the definite article before a noun, even when you speak in general. So il pranzo corresponds to English “lunch.” Omitting il (Pranzo è finito) would sound awkward or incomplete.

Why is pranzo masculine? Do all words ending in -o have to be masculine?

Most Italian nouns ending in -o are masculine, and pranzo follows that rule. That’s why it takes il and why any adjectives or participles agree in the masculine form (e.g. finito rather than finita). There are exceptions, but they’re relatively few (for example la mano).

Why is it è finito instead of ha finito?

Finire can be transitive or intransitive:

• Transitive (“to finish something”) uses avere: Ho finito il libro (“I finished the book”).
• Intransitive (“to end”) uses essere: Il pranzo è finito (“The lunch is over”).
  Here the lunch itself ends, so you use essere
  • past participle.

Does finito have to agree with pranzo?