Breakdown of Il sabato il mercato è affollato.
essere
to be
il mercato
the market
affollato
crowded
il sabato
the Saturday
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Italian grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Il sabato il mercato è affollato.
Why is there a definite article before sabato?
In Italian, placing the definite article before a day of the week (e.g. il sabato) expresses a habitual or recurring action. So il sabato means “on Saturdays” (repeatedly), not just one specific Saturday.
Could I drop the article and say Sabato il mercato è affollato?
Yes, but the meaning changes.
- Sabato il mercato è affollato (no article) typically refers to “this Saturday the market is crowded.”
- Il sabato il mercato è affollato (with article) means “on Saturdays (every week) the market is crowded.”
Can I use ogni sabato instead of il sabato?
Absolutely. Ogni sabato il mercato è affollato conveys the same habitual meaning: “every Saturday the market is crowded.”
Why does mercato also have a definite article?
Italian usually uses the definite article with nouns when speaking in general terms. Here, il mercato means “the market” as a general institution. Dropping the article (mercato è affollato) would sound unnatural in standard Italian.
Is affollato the correct adjective, and does it agree with mercato?
Yes. Affollato means “crowded”. Adjectives in Italian must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Since mercato is masculine singular, the proper form is affollato (not affollata or affollati).
Could I place the time expression at the end instead of the beginning?
Yes. Both are grammatically correct:
- Il sabato il mercato è affollato. (focus on the habitual time)
- Il mercato è affollato il sabato. (neutral statement with time added)