Learn Hardcore Italian: Il vento fa ruotare le foglie gialle in giardino. - The wind makes the yellow leaves spin in the garden.

Fa is the third person singular of fare used in the causative construction fare + infinitive, meaning “to make (something) do something.” So fa ruotare literally means “makes (them) rotate,” emphasizing that the wind causes the leaves to spin.

Could you just say le foglie ruotano? What’s the difference?

Saying le foglie ruotano (“the leaves rotate”) is an intransitive use of ruotare, stating that the leaves rotate by themselves. Using fa ruotare stresses that the wind is actively causing the rotation.

Why is there a definite article le before foglie?

Italian typically uses definite articles before nouns—especially in general statements or descriptions. Here, le foglie gialle means “the yellow leaves,” referring to specific leaves in the garden. Even when speaking generally, plural nouns often require an article in Italian.

Why does the adjective gialle come after foglie, and why does it end with -e?

In Italian, descriptive adjectives usually follow the noun. Gialle agrees with foglie, which is feminine plural: feminine plural adjectives take -e to match the noun’s gender and number.

Why is it in giardino instead of al giardino or nel giardino?

In giardino expresses a general location (“in the garden”). Al giardino could imply motion toward the garden (“to the garden”), and nel giardino (“in the garden”) is correct but more emphatic. Italians often drop the article in familiar locative phrases like in giardino, a scuola, in ufficio.

Why is vento preceded by il in a general statement?

In Italian, abstract or natural phenomena like vento often take the definite article even in general statements. So Il vento fa ruotare… corresponds to “The wind makes…” rather than simply “Wind makes…”.

What tense and person is fa ruotare?

Fa is the third person singular present indicative of fare. It combines with the infinitive ruotare to form a present causative construction.

Could you use girare instead of ruotare? Are they interchangeable?

Both girare and ruotare can mean “to turn,” but ruotare often implies turning around an axis (rotating), while girare is more general (“to turn,” “to spin,” “to go around”). You could say fa girare le foglie, but fa ruotare stresses the rotational action.

How do you pronounce ruotare correctly?

Ruotare is pronounced /ruoˈta.re/. The uo forms a diphthong [u̯o], and the stress is on the second syllable ta: ru-o-TA-re.

Can you express this idea with a continuous/progressive form like sta facendo ruotare?

Yes. You could say Il vento sta facendo ruotare le foglie gialle in giardino to emphasize an ongoing action. However, continuous forms are less common in Italian than in English; the simple present often covers both habitual and ongoing actions.