Un uccellino si posa sul tavolo in giardino.

A little bird lands on the table in the garden.

Breakdown of Un uccellino si posa sul tavolo in giardino.

• su: on
• il tavolo: the table
• in: in
• il giardino: the garden
• l'uccellino: the bird
• posarsi: to land

Questions & Answers about Un uccellino si posa sul tavolo in giardino.

Why do we use un and not uno before uccellino?

Italian has two singular masculine indefinite articles: un and uno.

• un is used before words that begin with a vowel (like uccellino) or most consonants.
• uno is reserved for masculine nouns that start with s+consonant (e.g. uno studente) or certain clusters (z, gn, ps, pn, x, y).

What does the suffix -ino in uccellino signify?

The ending -ino is a diminutive suffix. It makes the noun smaller or cuter in nuance.

• uccello means “bird.”
• uccellino literally “little bird” or “birdie.”

What is the role of si in si posa?

In si posa, si is not the reflexive “himself” but part of a pronominal (or semi‐reflexive) verb: posarsi. Here it means “to alight” or “to settle” (as a bird on a surface).

• The construction (si
  • third‐person verb) describes an action the subject does to itself or its own position.

Why do we say sul tavolo instead of su il tavolo?

Italian contracts simple prepositions with definite articles:

• su
  • il → sul
• in
  • la → nella, etc.
    So sul is just the combined form of su
    • il (“on the”).

Why is there no article before giardino in in giardino?

With certain common locations, Italian often uses the preposition alone, omitting the article:

• a scuola, a casa, in chiesa, in giardino.
  It expresses a general location (“in the garden” as a concept) rather than a specific garden (“in a garden” would be in un giardino).

Could we say si posa sul tavolo in un giardino instead?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

• in giardino = “in the garden” (where the speaker or context already has a garden in mind)
• in un giardino = “in a garden,” emphasizing any non‐specified garden.

Why is the verb posa in the third person singular?

The subject of the sentence is un uccellino (a little bird), which is third person singular. Italian verbs must agree in person and number with their subjects:

• Io mi poso
• Tu ti posi
• Lui/lei si posa

Can we replace si posa with si appoggia? Is there a difference?

You can say si appoggia (“leans on” or “rests on”) but:

• posarsi focuses on the action of alighting or coming to rest (common for birds).
• appoggiarsi implies leaning or placing with slight pressure.
  For a bird gently landing, si posa is more idiomatic.