Breakdown of La polvere copre la carrozzeria dell’auto in cantina.
di
of
in
in
l'auto
the car
coprire
to cover
Questions & Answers about La polvere copre la carrozzeria dell’auto in cantina.
What does polvere mean in this sentence?
Polvere means “dust.” It’s a feminine singular noun referring to fine, dry particles that accumulate on surfaces.
Why is auto feminine, and why do we say l’auto?
Auto is short for automobile, which is a feminine noun in Italian (la automobile). When la precedes a word starting with a vowel, the vowel is dropped and replaced by an apostrophe, so la auto becomes l’auto.
What is the function of the apostrophe in l’auto and dell’auto?
How exactly does dell’auto form from di + l’auto?
In Italian, a preposition plus a definite article often contract into one word. Here:
di (of) + l’auto (the car) → dell’auto.