Learn Hardcore Italian: Lo zio suona il violino ogni sera dopo cena. - My uncle plays the violin every evening after dinner.

Italian has a few “special” definite articles for masculine singular nouns that begin with certain consonant clusters (z, s + consonant, gn, pn, ps, x, y). Before zio (which starts with “z”) you must use lo.

il is used before most other consonants (il ragazzo).
l’ is only used before vowels (l’amico).

Why is there a definite article before violino? Could we say suona violino?

Whenever you talk about playing or studying an instrument in Italian, you normally use the definite article. In English you say “play the violin,” but you wouldn’t drop “the” in Italian either—so it’s suona il violino, not suona violino.

Why don’t we use a preposition like “a” before violino, as we do in English with “play on the violin”?

In Italian suonare (to play an instrument) takes a direct object. You simply attach the article + instrument: suonare il pianoforte, suonare la chitarra, etc. There’s no preposition needed.

What does ogni sera mean, and where can adverbial time phrases like this go in an Italian sentence?

ogni sera = “every evening” (or “every night,” depending on context). Adverbials of time are flexible in Italian:

At the beginning: Ogni sera, lo zio suona il violino…
After the verb or object: Lo zio suona il violino ogni sera.
Even between subject and verb: Lo zio ogni sera suona il violino.

Why is there no article before cena in dopo cena? Can we say dopo la cena?

In common time expressions introduced by dopo or prima, Italian often omits the article: dopo cena, prima colazione, dopo pranzo. You can say dopo la cena if you want to emphasize a specific dinner, but in habitual phrases we usually drop la.

Why is the verb suonare in the present tense here, and how is suona formed?

The present indicative (presente indicativo) expresses habitual or repeated actions in Italian. suonare is a regular -are verb:
io suono
tu suoni
lui/lei suona ← here it’s suona for “he/she plays”
No auxiliary or special construction is needed for simple habits.

Why is there no subject pronoun like lui before suona? When can we omit subject pronouns in Italian?

Italian is a pro-drop language: the verb ending tells you who the subject is. Since suona clearly marks 3rd person singular, you don’t need lui. You’d only add lui for emphasis or contrast (e.g. Lui suona, ma lei canta).

How would I say “my uncle plays the violin every evening after dinner” in Italian using a possessive? Where does the article go with mio zio?

With a singular, unmodified family member plus a possessive, you normally drop the article:
Mio zio suona il violino ogni sera dopo cena.
If you add an adjective (mio caro zio) or want to be more formal, you’d include il:
Il mio caro zio suona il violino ogni sera dopo cena.