Learn Hardcore Italian: Questa scala è comoda da salire. - This staircase is comfortable to climb.

Scala is a feminine noun in Italian, so the demonstrative adjective must agree in gender and number. Questa is the feminine singular form of “this.”

What does comoda da salire literally translate to?

Literally, comoda is “comfortable” (feminine) and da salire means “to climb.” So word-for-word it’s “this staircase is comfortable to climb.” In natural English you’d say “this staircase is easy to climb.”

Why is it da salire and not per salire?

Italian uses da + infinitive after adjectives to express ease or difficulty with an action. Comoda da salire is the standard way to say “easy (comfortable) to climb.” Per salire would more literally mean “in order to climb,” which doesn’t convey the same sense of ease.

What part of speech is comoda?

Comoda is an adjective modifying scala. It describes the quality of the staircase, indicating that climbing it isn’t difficult.

Could I say scalata comoda or scala comoda instead?

Yes, scala comoda is acceptable and common: the adjective after the noun. Scalata comoda would use scalata (a noun meaning “climb” or “ascent”), which changes the meaning to something like “a comfortable climb.” That’s a different structure.

Is facile da salire interchangeable with comoda da salire?

Mostly yes. Facile da salire means “easy to climb,” while comoda da salire literally “comfortable to climb.” Both convey that the stairs aren’t steep or tiring, but comoda might imply a bit more about tread depth or handrails.

How would you negate this sentence if the stairs were difficult?

You could say Questa scala non è comoda da salire (“This staircase is not comfortable to climb”) or use difficile: Questa scala è difficile da salire (“This staircase is difficult to climb”).