Learn Hardcore Italian: Il muratore sistema due tegole rotte sul tetto. - The mason fixes two broken tiles on the roof.

Sistema is the third-person singular present of sistemare, which can mean “to fix,” “to repair,” “to arrange” or “to put in order.” Here it specifically means “he fixes” or “he patches.”

Why do we say il muratore instead of just muratore?

Italian normally uses the definite article before professions when referring to a specific person. Il muratore literally means “the mason” or “the bricklayer.” In English, speakers often drop “the,” but in Italian it’s standard. If you wanted to say “a mason,” you would say un muratore.

Why is the adjective rotte placed after tegole, and why does it end with -e?

Descriptive adjectives like rotte (“broken”) generally follow the noun in Italian. Since tegole (“tiles”) is feminine plural, the adjective must agree in gender and number, so rotte takes the feminine plural ending -e.

Could we say le due tegole rotte instead of due tegole rotte?

Yes. Adding the article le (feminine plural) specifies particular tiles:
• Il muratore sistema due tegole rotte = “The mason fixes two broken tiles.” (indefinite)
• Il muratore sistema le due tegole rotte = “The mason fixes the two broken tiles.” (definite, specific)

Why is it sul tetto rather than su il tetto?

Italian contracts certain prepositions with the definite article. Su + il becomes sul. Similarly, su + la → sulla, su + lo → sullo, etc.

Could we replace sistema with ripara or aggiusta?

Yes. All three verbs can mean “to fix”:
• Ripara (from riparare) focuses on mending something broken.
• Aggiusta (from aggiustare) often implies “adjusting” or “fixing.”
• Sistema is broader, meaning “to put in order,” “to arrange,” or “to repair.”

Why doesn’t sistemare require a preposition before due tegole rotte?

Because sistemare is a transitive verb that takes a direct object. In Italian, direct objects are not preceded by a preposition (unlike English, which sometimes uses “to” or “for” with certain verbs).