Metto i lenzuoli sullo stendibiancheria.

I put the sheets on the drying rack.

Breakdown of Metto i lenzuoli sullo stendibiancheria.

• io: I
• su: on
• mettere: to put
• il lenzuolo: the sheet
• lo stendibiancheria: the drying rack

Questions & Answers about Metto i lenzuoli sullo stendibiancheria.

What does Metto mean here, and which tense is it?

Metto is the first-person singular present indicative of the verb mettere (“to put/place”). In this sentence it means “I put” or “I am putting.”

Why is i used before lenzuoli?

In Italian, definite articles are normally required before nouns. Lenzuoli is masculine plural, so it takes the article i (“the”).

Why is lenzuoli in the plural form?

You usually hang more than one sheet (for example a top sheet and a bottom sheet), so you use the plural lenzuoli (“sheets”). The singular form is lenzuolo (“sheet”).

Can you omit the article and just say Metto lenzuoli sullo stendibiancheria?

No. Unlike English, Italian generally keeps the definite article in such contexts. You need i lenzuoli, not just lenzuoli.

Why is it sullo instead of su lo or sul?

When the preposition su (“on”) combines with the masculine-singular article lo, it contracts to sullo. (Similarly, su + il = sul, su + la = sulla, su + i = sui, etc.)

What is the gender and plural of stendibiancheria?

Stendibiancheria is a compound masculine noun (from the imperative of stendere + biancheria). In the singular it’s introduced by lo stendibiancheria, and in the plural by i stendibiancheria. The word itself remains unchanged.

Could you use stendino instead of stendibiancheria?

Yes. Stendino is a shorter, more colloquial term for the same laundry-drying rack. Both are correct, but stendibiancheria is the more descriptive form.

Why not use stendo instead of metto—“I hang” instead of “I put”?

You certainly could say Stendo i lenzuoli sullo stendibiancheria, using stendere (“to spread/hang out”). Mettere is more general (“to put”), whereas stendere emphasizes the act of spreading or hanging items to dry.

What about appendere (“to hang”)? Would that work here?

Appendere is typically used for hanging objects on hooks or a clothesline (e.g. appendere un quadro, appendere un capo su una gruccia). With a drying rack, Italians usually say mettere or stendere rather than appendere.