Learn Hardcore Italian: Manca solo la tua firma in fondo al contratto. - Only your signature is missing at the bottom of the contract.

It’s the third-person singular of mancare, which literally means “to be missing” or “to lack.” So Manca la tua firma translates as “Your signature is missing.”

Why is it manca (singular) and not mancano (plural)?

Because the subject of the verb is singular (la firma). If multiple things were missing you’d use mancano (e.g. Mancano la tua firma e il timbro).

How would you translate solo in this sentence?

Here solo means “only” or “just.” So Manca solo la tua firma = “Only your signature is missing” (or “Just your signature is missing”).

Why do we say in fondo al contratto instead of alla fine del contratto?

In fondo a + noun is used for the physical or visual position “at the bottom of” something (a page, document, etc.). Alla fine di is more about the end of an event or period. On a document you’d normally say in fondo al documento/contratto.

Why is the article la used before tua firma?

In Italian you usually put the definite article before a noun plus its possessive adjective (except with close family members). So you say la tua firma, il mio libro, i suoi appunti.

What is al in in fondo al contratto?

Al is the contraction of a + il, so in fondo al contratto means “at the bottom of the contract.”

Could I move solo after the verb, e.g. Manca la tua firma solo in fondo al contratto?

That would shift the emphasis: it’d imply “your signature is missing only in that one place (at the bottom),” as if you’d signed elsewhere. To convey “only your signature is missing,” keep solo before la tua firma.

Could I use serve solo la tua firma instead of manca solo la tua firma?

Yes, servire can mean “to need.” However, you’d normally say Ci serve solo la tua firma (“We just need your signature”). Without the clitic ci it sounds incomplete.