Learn Hardcore Italian: Questo pacco è imballato con molta cura.

È imballato is the passive voice, formed by the verb essere in the present tense + the past participle imballato. It literally means “is packed,” focusing on the state or condition of the package rather than who did the packing.

Why don’t we say è stato imballato instead?

È stato imballato is the compound past passive (“has been packed”) and highlights the completion of the action. In contrast, è imballato describes the current state (“is packed”) without specifying when the packing occurred.

What part of speech is imballato here?

Imballato is the past participle of imballare (“to pack”), but in this sentence it functions like an adjective, describing the resulting condition of the package.

Why is molta used instead of molto?

Cura is a feminine singular noun in Italian, so the adjective molto must agree in gender and number, becoming molta cura (“much care” or “great care”).

What does con molta cura literally mean, and can I express it differently?

Literally, con molta cura means “with much care.” It corresponds to the English adverb carefully. You could also say molto accuratamente or simply con cura for “with care.”

Why is questo placed before pacco, and what is its function?

Questo is a demonstrative adjective modifying pacco (“this package”). In Italian, demonstrative adjectives normally precede the noun they describe.

Could I use a different verb instead of imballare?

Yes. Imballare is standard for packing items for shipping. Alternatives include confezionare (“to package”) or incartare (“to wrap”), but those can carry slightly different nuances (e.g. incartare often implies wrapping with paper).

Is è imballato active or passive, and how would I say “They packed this package carefully”?

È imballato is passive. To form an active sentence in Italian, you would say: Hanno imballato questo pacco con molta cura (“They packed this package with great care”).