Il fumo è denso.

to be

Breakdown of Il fumo è denso.

• denso: dense
• il fumo: the smoke

Questions & Answers about Il fumo è denso.

Why is there the word il before fumo when in English we often drop “the” before uncountable nouns like “smoke”?

In Italian, singular nouns—whether countable or mass—normally require a definite article when you’re referring to them in a general or descriptive way. So instead of saying “Smoke is thick” without an article, you say Il fumo è denso. Omitting il (i.e. saying “Fumo è denso”) would sound ungrammatical in standard Italian.

Why is the adjective denso placed after the noun fumo, rather than before it?

Most Italian adjectives follow the noun they modify in neutral, descriptive contexts. Placing denso after fumo simply describes a quality of the smoke. If you put certain adjectives before the noun (e.g., grande, piccolo, or emotive adjectives like bello), the meaning can shift to a more subjective or poetic nuance. But il denso fumo would sound odd or overly poetic in everyday speech.

Can I use the adjective spesso instead of denso to describe thick smoke?

Spesso can mean “thick,” but it more commonly describes physical thickness in things like fabric, hair, or layers (e.g., una nebbia molto spessa = “a very thick fog”). For smoke, Italian speakers prefer denso or sometimes fitto (e.g., fumo fitto), which directly convey a high concentration of particles.

Why is the verb (from ) used here? Could we use another verb like or ?