Learn Hardcore Italian: Un giovane astronauta spiega ai bambini come funziona una tuta spaziale. - A young astronaut explains to the children how a space suit works.

In Italian, un is the masculine singular indefinite article, equivalent to “a” or “an” in English. It introduces a non‐specific noun (“a young astronaut”) rather than a specific one. If you said il giovane astronauta, you would be referring to one particular, known young astronaut (“the young astronaut”).

Why does the adjective giovane come before astronauta, and does its position change the meaning?

Most Italian adjectives follow the noun, but certain common ones (like age, beauty, size) often precede it. Putting giovane before astronauta simply sounds natural and emphasizes the youth aspect. If you placed it after—un astronauta giovane—it’s still correct, but can subtly shift focus to the fact that the astronaut is young (perhaps surprising news) rather than describing an inherently “young‐astronaut” concept.

What is the structure behind spiega ai bambini? Can I say spiega i bambini?

The verb spiegare (to explain) takes a direct object (what is explained) and an indirect object (to whom). The correct pattern is spiegare qualcosa a qualcuno. Here, ai bambini (“to the children”) is the indirect object. You cannot drop the preposition a; spiega i bambini would wrongly mean “explains the children.”

How is ai formed, and why?

Ai is the contraction of the preposition a + the plural masculine definite article i.
a + i → ai
So ai bambini literally means “to the children.”

Why is come used in this sentence, and what does it introduce?

Come here means “how.” It introduces a subordinate interrogative or explanatory clause (“how a spacesuit works”). In Italian, when you explain how something happens, you simply use come + [verb] + [object].

Why isn’t there a question mark or inversion in come funziona una tuta spaziale?

This is not a direct question but a subordinate clause introduced by come. In Italian, subordinate clauses mirror statement word order: subject–verb–object. You only use inversion and a question mark in direct questions.

How do you form the plural of astronauta and tuta?

Astronauta is a masculine noun ending in –a; its plural takes –i → astronauti.
Tuta is feminine ending in –a; its plural takes –e → tute.

What about the feminine form of astronauta? Does it change?

The feminine of astronauta is also astronauta in the singular. In the plural, both genders use astronauti (m) and astronaute (f).
– un’astronauta (fem. sing.)
– due astronaute (fem. pl.)

How do you pronounce astronauta, giovane and tuta spaziale? Any tricky sounds?

giovane: GIO-va-ne, stress on the first syllable.
astronauta: as-tro-NAU-ta, stress on the third syllable.
tuta: TU-ta, with a clear double-T sound (hold the t slightly).
spaziale: spa-ZI-a-le, stress on “zi.” Italian z can sound like “ts.”

Is funzionare transitive or intransitive, and what does funziona literally mean?

Funzionare is an intransitive verb meaning “to function” or “to work.” Funziona is the third‐person singular present indicative: “it works” or “it functions.” In come funziona una tuta spaziale, it literally reads “how a spacesuit functions.”