Breakdown of Il falegname fa un tavolo di legno.
il tavolo
the table
di
of
fare
to make
il legno
the wood
il falegname
the carpenter
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Questions & Answers about Il falegname fa un tavolo di legno.
Why do we use il before falegname, and not lo or l’?
In Italian the definite article changes according to the initial sound of the noun. You use il before most consonants (e.g. il falegname, il libro). Lo appears before words starting with s + consonant (lo studente), z (lo zaino), ps, gn, x, y. L’ is only for vowel-initial words (l’amico).
How is falegname pronounced, especially the gn part?
Falegname is pronounced /fa-le-ˈɲa-me/. The Italian gn represents the single sound /ɲ/, like the “ny” in English canyon. So you say fa-le-NYA-me.
Why is the verb fa spelled without an accent, while I see dà with an accent?
Italian only uses accents to avoid ambiguity or mark irregular stress. The 3rd person singular of fare is fa, which never conflicts with another word, so no accent is needed. By contrast, dà (3rd person of dare) has an accent to distinguish it from the preposition da.
What’s the difference between saying Il falegname fa un tavolo di legno and Il falegname costruisce un tavolo di legno?
Fa is the general verb “makes/does.” Costruire (3rd person costruisce) means “to construct, build.” Using costruisce emphasizes the building process, while fa is more colloquial and broad (“he makes a table”).
Why is it un tavolo instead of il tavolo?
Un is the indefinite article meaning “a,” used when you talk about something non-specific. Il tavolo would mean “the table,” referring to a particular, known table. Here it’s just “a wooden table,” not one we’ve identified.
Why do we say di legno instead of in legno or con legno?
To express the material something is made of, Italian typically uses di + material (un tavolo di legno, una casa di pietra, un anello d’oro). In legno is also possible (especially when used adjectivally: una sedia in legno), but con legno (“with wood”) implies wood is one among several materials rather than the substance of the whole object.
Can we omit the subject and just say Fa un tavolo di legno?
Italian often drops subject pronouns (e.g. fa could mean “he/she/it makes”), but with a noun subject you usually keep it if you want to specify who is acting. Fa un tavolo di legno without context is ambiguous (“someone makes…”); Il falegname names the person.
Could we say Il falegname fa un tavolo legno without the preposition di?
No. When indicating material you need the preposition di before the material noun. Tavolo legno is ungrammatical. You must say tavolo di legno (or tavolo in legno).