Learn Hardcore Italian: Il tavolo pieghevole è utile in giardino. - The foldable table is useful in the garden.

In Italian, when you make a general statement about an entire category (like “folding tables” as a type of furniture), you normally use the definite article. Saying Il tavolo pieghevole è utile in giardino means “The folding table is useful in the garden” in the sense of “Folding tables are useful….” If you said Un tavolo pieghevole è utile in giardino, you’d be emphasizing one unspecified folding table rather than the concept in general.

Why is the adjective pieghevole placed after tavolo?

Most descriptive adjectives in Italian follow the noun they modify. So tavolo pieghevole is the natural word order. Placing pieghevole before tavolo (i.e. pieghevole tavolo) would sound unusual or poetic, and is generally avoided in everyday speech.

How do you form the plural of Il tavolo pieghevole è utile in giardino?

You make both the article and noun plural, and you turn the adjective ending -e into -i (since pieghevole is an -e adjective, it’s the same for masc. and fem.). It becomes:
I tavoli pieghevoli sono utili in giardino.

What does pieghevole literally mean, and how is it built?

Pieghevole comes from the verb piegare (to fold) plus the adjective-making suffix -evole (denoting capability). So it literally means “foldable” or “able to be folded.” It’s equivalent to English “foldable” or “collapsible.”

Why is there no article before giardino in in giardino?

When you express location in a general sense (“in the garden” as a type of place), you often use just the preposition plus noun: in giardino. If you had a specific garden (e.g. “in the garden behind my house”), you could say nel giardino (in + il).

Could you also say utile per il giardino instead of utile in giardino?

Yes. Utile per il giardino emphasizes usefulness for garden-related tasks, whereas utile in giardino highlights usefulness when you’re physically out in the garden. Both are correct but carry slightly different nuances.

Does pieghevole change with gender?

In the singular, no: pieghevole works for both masculine and feminine nouns (un tavolo pieghevole, una sedia pieghevole). In the plural, it becomes pieghevoli for both genders (i tavoli pieghevoli, le sedie pieghevoli).

How do you pronounce pieghevole?

It’s pronounced pje like “pie”
• ɡhe with a hard g, as in “get”
• stress on -vo-
• ends with -le pronounced “leh.”

Why is utile used here without any change for masculine/feminine?

Utile is an -e adjective, so in the singular it’s the same for masculine and feminine subjects. Only in the plural does it become utili (for both genders).