Il vento soffia dolcemente in giardino.

The wind blows gently in the garden.

Breakdown of Il vento soffia dolcemente in giardino.

• in: in
• il giardino: the garden
• il vento: the wind
• soffiare: to blow
• dolcemente: gently

Questions & Answers about Il vento soffia dolcemente in giardino.

How do you pronounce Il vento soffia dolcemente in giardino in Italian?

The pronunciation is roughly:
/il ˈvɛnto ˈsɔfːja doltʃeˈmente in dʒardˈdiːno/
– The double ff in soffia is held longer than a single f.
– soffia has a geminated f: /ˈsɔfːja/.
– giardino’s gli-like sound is /dʒ/.

What is the function of soffia in the sentence?

soffia is the 3rd person singular present indicative of the verb soffiare (to blow). Here it means the wind blows. In English you’d say “the wind blows,” where soffia corresponds to “blows.”

Why is dolcemente used instead of dolce?

dolcemente is an adverb meaning gently. In Italian many adverbs end in -mente, formed from the feminine adjective plus mente.
– Adjective: dolce (sweet, gentle)
– Adverb: dolce (feminine) + mente → dolcemente (gently)

Could you place dolcemente somewhere else in the sentence?

Yes, you could say:
– Il vento dolcemente soffia in giardino. (more poetic)
– Il vento soffia in giardino dolcemente. (less common)
However, the most natural word order is verb + adverb: soffia dolcemente.

Why is it in giardino and not nel giardino?

When talking about a general location without specifying “the garden” among others, Italians often omit the article:
– in giardino = in the garden (in general, as an activity)
Use nel giardino (in + il) when you want to emphasize a specific garden:
– Il gatto è nel giardino dietro casa. = The cat is in the garden behind the house.

Is soffia a regular verb, and how do you conjugate it?

Yes, soffiare is a standard ‑are verb. Present tense for soffiare:
io soffio
tu soffi
lui/lei soffia
noi soffiamo
voi soffiate
loro soffiano

Can you replace dolcemente with another adverb?

Certainly. For example:
– Il vento soffia forte in giardino. (strongly)
– Il vento soffia piano in giardino. (quietly/slowly)
Notice that forte and piano already function as adverbs without the ‑mente ending.