……
Breakdown of Il tavolo riciclato è robusto.
essere
to be
il tavolo
the table
robusto
sturdy
riciclato
recycled
Questions & Answers about Il tavolo riciclato è robusto.
Why is there an accent on è in è robusto?
È with a grave accent is the third‐person singular present of essere (“to be”). The accent distinguishes it from the conjunction e (“and”).
Is riciclato here a verb or an adjective?
Here riciclato is the past participle of riciclare, used as an adjective to modify tavolo. It means “recycled” and must agree in gender and number with the noun.
Why does riciclato come after the noun tavolo?
In Italian, most adjectives—including past participles used attributively—follow the noun they modify. Placing it before would sound poetic or emphatic.
How would riciclato change if the table were feminine or plural?
Adjectives agree with the noun’s gender and number:
- Feminine singular: riciclata
- Feminine plural: riciclate
- Masculine plural: riciclati
What’s the difference between “il tavolo riciclato” and “il tavolo che è stato riciclato”?
They convey the same idea. “Il tavolo riciclato” uses a reduced form (adjective), while “il tavolo che è stato riciclato” is a full relative clause. The adjective version is shorter and more colloquial.
Why is robusto placed after the verb?
Predicate adjectives (those linked by essere) always follow the verb in Italian. So Il tavolo è robusto follows the standard Subject-Verb-Adjective order.
Can we say Il robusto tavolo riciclato instead?
You can place some adjectives before the noun for emphasis or style, but it changes the nuance. The neutral order is Il tavolo riciclato è robusto.
How is tavolo riciclato pronounced?
It’s pronounced [taˈvo.lo ri.tʃiˈla.to]. The ci before c is [tʃ], like “ch” in “church.”
How would you express “the sturdy table was recycled” in Italian?
Use the passive voice: Il robusto tavolo è stato riciclato. Here è stato riciclato means “has been recycled.”
Why is the article il used instead of lo or l’?
Before a noun starting with a regular consonant (like tavolo), the masculine singular article is il. Lo is used before s+consonant or z; l’ before a vowel.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Italian grammar?”
Italian grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning ItalianMaster Italian — from Il tavolo riciclato è robusto to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions