Breakdown of Il mio bagaglio è leggero, quindi il personale del check-in sorride e non fa domande.
essere
to be
di
of
e
and
non
not
il mio
my
quindi
so
leggero
light
sorridere
to smile
il check-in
the check-in
il bagaglio
the luggage
il personale
the staff
fare domande
to ask questions
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Questions & Answers about Il mio bagaglio è leggero, quindi il personale del check-in sorride e non fa domande.
Why is bagaglio in the singular instead of using bagagli?
Italian often treats “luggage” as an uncountable or collective noun, much like English. So il mio bagaglio means “my luggage” in general, regardless of the number of pieces. You could say i miei bagagli if you want to emphasize multiple items, but singular is perfectly natural.
Why is the adjective leggero masculine singular?
Adjectives in Italian must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Bagaglio is a masculine singular noun, so its adjective is leggero (not leggeri or leggera).
What does personale mean, and why is it treated as singular?
Personale means “staff” or “personnel.” Even though it refers to a group, it’s a collective noun and takes singular verbs and articles (just like “staff” in English can be singular): il personale sorride.
Why is del check-in used instead of della registrazione or something fully Italian?
Italian often borrows the English term check-in, especially at airports. Del is the contraction of di + il, so il personale del check-in means “the staff of the check-in.” You could say della registrazione, but travelers commonly use check-in.
Why does it say sorride (he/she smiles) and not sorridono (they smile)?
Because personale is singular in Italian, even though it refers to multiple people. Therefore, you use the third-person singular form sorride.
What does non fa domande literally mean?
Literally it means “doesn’t make questions,” which in idiomatic English is “doesn’t ask questions.” Fare domande is the standard Italian way to say “to ask questions.”
Can I replace quindi with perciò or pertanto?
Yes, perciò, quindi, and pertanto are all conjunctions meaning “so” or “therefore.” Quindi is very common in speech, while pertanto is slightly more formal.
Is the word order important here? Could I say Il personale del check-in non fa domande e sorride?
You can switch the two verbs without changing the meaning:
Il personale del check-in non fa domande e sorride.
However, the original order (smile first, then not ask) emphasizes the causal relationship introduced by quindi.