Learn Hardcore Italian: Una richiesta ufficiale è stata inviata al sindaco dal nostro quartiere. - An official request was sent to the mayor by our neighborhood.

The passive voice shifts the focus onto the action (the sending of the request) and the object (the request) rather than on who performed it. Here the important information is that una richiesta ufficiale has been sent, not so much who did it (which is only added later).

How is the passive voice formed in Italian?

You use a form of essere + the past participle of the main verb, with the past participle agreeing in gender and number with the subject. In this example:
• è (3rd person sing. of essere)
• stata (feminine singular agreement)
• inviata (past participle of inviare, also agreeing feminine singular)

Why does the past participle inviata agree with richiesta?

In Italian passive constructions, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the grammatical subject. Here the subject is una richiesta (feminine singular), so the participle is inviata (fem. sg.).

What is the function of dal in dal nostro quartiere?

Dal is the contraction of da + il and means “from the.” In a passive sentence, da marks the agent (“by”), so dal nostro quartiere = “by/from our neighborhood.”

Why do we say al sindaco instead of a sindaco?

To form “to the mayor,” Italian requires a + the definite article. Sindaco is masculine singular and takes il, so a + il = al. Dropping the article (a sindaco) would be ungrammatical here.

Could this sentence be rewritten in the active voice?

Yes. An active equivalent is:
Il nostro quartiere ha inviato una richiesta ufficiale al sindaco.
Here il nostro quartiere is the subject, ha inviato is the present perfect of inviare, and una richiesta ufficiale is the object.

Why is the article una used before richiesta instead of la?

Una is the indefinite article “a.” The sentence speaks of “a formal request” in general terms, not a previously known specific request. If the request were already identified, you could use la instead.

Why is the adjective ufficiale placed after richiesta? Could it go before?

Many Italian adjectives appear after the noun by default, especially descriptive ones. Ufficiale can go before or after richiesta, but post-noun placement is more neutral. Putting it before (e.g. una ufficiale richiesta) sounds more literary or emphatic.

Is richiesta feminine? How can I tell?

Yes. Nouns ending in -a are typically feminine in Italian (with exceptions). The article una and the participle inviata also confirm it’s feminine singular.

Can I move dal nostro quartiere to the front of the sentence?

Yes, Italian allows flexibility in word order. You could say:
Dal nostro quartiere è stata inviata una richiesta ufficiale al sindaco.
This fronting adds emphasis on the agent (“from our neighborhood”).

What’s the difference between richiesta and domanda in Italian?

Richiesta generally means a formal or official request (“request”).
Domanda can mean “question” (as in asking a question) or “request,” but it’s less formal. In a legal or official context, richiesta is preferred.