Breakdown of Il campanello della porta è fatto di bronzo lucido.
essere
to be
la porta
the door
di
of
fatto
made
il campanello
the doorbell
il bronzo
the bronze
lucido
shiny
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Questions & Answers about Il campanello della porta è fatto di bronzo lucido.
What does campanello mean?
campanello means doorbell. It’s the diminutive form of campana (bell), so literally “little bell,” but in everyday Italian it simply refers to the device you press at someone’s front door.
Why is campanello masculine even though campana is feminine?
Because the diminutive suffix -ello typically forms masculine nouns.
• campana (feminine) + -ello → campanello (masculine).
What does della represent in della porta?
della is the contraction of di + la, so della porta means of the door. It links campanello to porta, specifying which bell it is (the bell belonging to the door).
Why is bronzo not preceded by an article or pluralized?
bronzo here is a material noun, not an adjective. When indicating the substance something’s made of, Italian normally uses the singular, uninflected noun for the material: bronzo (bronze), legno (wood), plastica (plastic), etc.
What does fatto di mean and why is it used?
fatto di literally translates to made of. It’s the standard way to express that an object is constructed from a certain material.
Alternative: you can also say in + [material], e.g. in bronzo.
What grammatical structure is è fatto? Is it a passive?
Yes. è fatto is the third-person singular present passive of fare. The structure is:
Subject (Il campanello) + essere (è) + past participle (fatto).
It renders: The doorbell is made of shiny bronze.
Why is lucido placed after bronzo?
In Italian the noun of the material (bronzo) comes first, then the adjective describing its finish or quality (lucido, “shiny”). Reversing them (lucido bronzo) would sound unnatural.
Can you say Il campanello della porta è in bronzo lucido instead?
Yes. È in bronzo lucido is a perfectly natural, more concise alternative. There’s no significant nuance difference—both ways mean the same thing.