Learn Hardcore Italian: La nostra gita al lago è rilassante.

In Italian, singular nouns with possessive adjectives usually require a definite article before them. So you need la (the) before nostra. The main exception is singular, unmodified family members (e.g., mia madre), but here la nostra gita is correct.

Why is it nostra rather than nostro?

Possessive adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Gita is feminine singular, so you use nostra. If the noun were masculine singular (e.g., il nostro libro), you’d use nostro.

What is al in al lago?

Al is a contraction of a (to/at) + il (the). It means “to the” or “at the.” Thus, gita al lago means “trip to the lake” or “outing at the lake.”

Could we use alla instead of al?

Yes, but only with a feminine singular noun. For example, alla spiaggia = a + la spiaggia (“to the beach”). Since lago is masculine, we use al.

What does rilassante mean?

Rilassante means “relaxing.” It’s an adjective derived from the verb rilassare (“to relax”) and describes something that induces relaxation.

Why use rilassante instead of rilassato?

Rilassante is an active or present‐participle adjective meaning “relaxing” (something that relaxes you). Rilassato is a passive or past‐participle adjective meaning “relaxed” (feeling relaxed). Since the sentence describes the trip itself as soothing, rilassante is correct.

Why is rilassante placed after è?

In Italian, predicate adjectives (those following a linking verb like essere, “to be”) normally come after the verb. So è rilassante corresponds directly to “is relaxing.”