Learn Hardcore Italian: La tettoia nuova è di vetro, mentre la colonna rimane in pietra. - The new canopy is made of glass, while the column remains stone.

Tettoia refers to an overhang or canopy – basically a roof-like structure that extends over an area (for example, to shelter a walkway or parked cars). It’s not a full building roof but more like a covered extension.

Why is the adjective nuova placed after tettoia instead of before?

In Italian most adjectives are normally placed after the noun. So la tettoia nuova is perfectly standard. Placing nuova before the noun (la nuova tettoia) is also correct, but it can give a slightly different nuance or stylistic emphasis (often more subjective or poetic). Here, after the noun simply states as a fact that the canopy is new.

Why do we say è di vetro instead of è in vetro?

When talking about the material something is made of, Italian typically uses di + material (e.g. di vetro, di legno, di marmo). Saying in vetro is not impossible, but it’s less common and can sound odd. Di focuses on the composition (“made of glass”), whereas in sometimes emphasizes being “inside” or covered by that material.

Could you use in vetro here without changing the meaning?

You could say la tettoia nuova è in vetro, and people would understand. However, it’s not the default choice for materials. È di vetro is more idiomatic for “it’s made of glass.” Using in vetro might sound like “it’s a glass enclosure” rather than focusing on the construction material.

What is the function of mentre in this sentence?

Mentre here means “while” or “whereas”, and it introduces a contrast between two facts: the canopy is glass, whereas the column stays in stone. It’s connecting two clauses to highlight their difference.

Why is the verb rimane used for the column instead of just è?

Rimane (from rimanere, “to remain/stay”) suggests that the column continues to be in stone—possibly implying that it wasn’t changed when the canopy was updated. Using è would simply state its material, but rimane adds the nuance “it remains (as it was).”

Could you say la colonna è di pietra instead of rimane in pietra?

Yes, you could rephrase it as la colonna è di pietra to state the material. But you lose the nuance that the column remains in stone (perhaps unchanged). Also, as above, di pietra is more common than in pietra if you simply want “it’s made of stone.”

Why is there a definite article la before both tettoia and colonna?

Italian generally uses the definite article with nouns more often than English does. Here, la specifies “the canopy” and “the column” because you’re talking about particular, known structures, not canopies or columns in general.

Is colonna always feminine?

Yes. In Italian, colonna is a feminine noun (la colonna). You must match adjectives and articles accordingly (la bella colonna, una colonna alta). There’s no masculine form colonna – the masculine equivalent would be a different word like pilastro (pillar).