Learn Hardcore Italian: La connessione tra il computer e il telefono è lenta. - The connection between the computer and the phone is slow.

Italian normally requires a definite article before nouns, even when English might drop “the.” Here la is the feminine singular definite article matching connessione.

Why is connessione feminine?

Nouns ending in -ione in Italian are always feminine. That’s why you use la connessione and pair it with feminine adjectives.

Why do we use tra in tra il computer e il telefono?

Tra (or fra) means “between.” It links two items—in this case il computer and il telefono—to show the relationship “between the computer and the phone.”

Can we use fra instead of tra here?

Yes. Fra and tra are interchangeable and both mean “between.” The choice is stylistic or based on which sounds smoother in context.

Why does each noun have its own il (definite article)?

In Italian, when two nouns are coordinated, you normally repeat the article for each: tra il computer e il telefono. Omitting one article can sound incomplete or cause confusion.

What’s the difference between e and è, and why does è have an accent?

E (no accent) is the conjunction “and.” È (with a grave accent) is the third-person singular of essere (“is”). The accent distinguishes the verb from the conjunction.

Why is lenta placed after è? Could it go somewhere else?

After the verb essere, adjectives act as predicates and typically follow the verb: è lenta. If you want to use the adjective attributively, you place it before the noun (e.g. la lenta connessione) and you drop the verb.

Why does lenta end in -a, and what if we had more than one connection?

Adjectives in Italian agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Lenta is feminine singular to match connessione. If it were plural you’d use lente; if the noun were masculine singular you’d use lento.