La ricerca di un libro interessante è lunga.

The search for an interesting book is long.

Breakdown of La ricerca di un libro interessante è lunga.

• essere: to be
• il libro: the book
• interessante: interesting
• di: of

Questions & Answers about La ricerca di un libro interessante è lunga.

What does di mean in La ricerca di un libro interessante, and why is it used here?

In this context, di introduces the object of the search – literally “the search of/for something.” Italian normally uses ricerca di + noun to say “the search for X.” Here it links ricerca (a noun) to un libro interessante (what you're searching for).

Can I replace di with per (La ricerca per un libro interessante)?

Technically you can say ricerca per when you mean “research on behalf of” or “research aimed at,” but ricerca di is the idiomatic way to say “search for.” Using per would change the nuance and sound less natural when talking simply about “looking for” something.

Why is interessante placed after libro instead of before?

Most descriptive adjectives in Italian follow the noun they modify. So libro interessante is the default order. Placing an adjective before the noun is usually reserved for poetic effect, emphasis, or a small set of very common adjectives (e.g., bello, grande).

Why does interessante end in -e and not -o or -a?