Learn Hardcore Italian: La lente ingrandisce le piccole crepe che a occhio nudo non si vedono. - The lens enlarges the small cracks that cannot be seen with the naked eye.

In Italian, most nouns require a definite article when you refer to a specific object. Here la lente means “the lens.” Unlike English, Italian normally doesn’t drop the article except in a few fixed expressions (e.g., a scuola, in banca).

Why is le used before piccole crepe, when in English we often omit “the” in general statements?

Crepe is a feminine plural noun, so it takes the article le. Moreover, Italian commonly uses the definite article with plural nouns even for generic statements (English would simply say “small cracks”).

Why does the adjective piccole come before crepe instead of after?

Adjectives of size (like grande, piccolo) often precede the noun in Italian. Putting piccole before crepe is the normal word order for size adjectives. If you said crepe piccole, it still works but sounds less idiomatic.

What role does che play in this sentence?

Che is a relative pronoun introducing the clause che a occhio nudo non si vedono. It refers back to le piccole crepe, equivalent to English “that” or “which.”

Why isn't there a comma before che?

This is a restrictive (defining) relative clause, specifying exactly which cracks we mean. In Italian, you don’t use a comma before a defining che.

What does the phrase a occhio nudo mean exactly?

Literally “to/at naked eye,” it’s the idiom for “with the naked eye.” It indicates that you can’t see the cracks without magnification.

Why is there no article before occhio in a occhio nudo?

A occhio nudo is a fixed idiomatic expression. In such adverbial phrases, Italian drops the article (unlike English’s “with the naked eye”).

What is the function of si in non si vedono?

Here si creates an impersonal/passive construction: non si vedono means “they cannot be seen” or “one cannot see them.” It removes the need for a specific subject like “we.”

Why is the verb ingrandisce in the third person singular?

Because its subject is la lente (“the lens”), which is third-person singular. So ingrandisce = “it magnifies.”

Could we replace non si vedono with non le vediamo?

Yes. Non le vediamo a occhio nudo would mean “we don’t see them with the naked eye,” shifting focus to “we.” The original non si vedono is more impersonal/general (“they can’t be seen”).