ELONIO
Log inSign up

Il tramonto sul lago è bellissimo.

Il tramonto sul lago è bellissimo.
The sunset over the lake is very beautiful.
FromLesson 54inHardcore Italian

Breakdown of Il tramonto sul lago è bellissimo.

essere
to be
il lago
the lake
il tramonto
the sunset
bellissimo
beautiful
su
over

Questions & Answers about Il tramonto sul lago è bellissimo.

Why is the article il used before tramonto, and what is the gender of tramonto?
Tramonto is a masculine noun in Italian, so it takes the masculine singular definite article il (equivalent to “the” in English).
What does sul mean, and why is it written as one word here?
Sul is the contraction of su (meaning “on” or “over”) + il (the masculine singular “the”). Su + il becomes sul, and it means “on the” or “over the.”
Why do we say sul lago instead of something like “by the lake”?
In Italian, su with the definite article often conveys location on or above a surface or area. So sul lago literally means “on the lake” or “over the lake.” English speakers often render it as “at the lake,” but the Italian phrasing uses su + article.
How do you pronounce tramonto, and where does the stress fall?
Tramonto is pronounced /tra-ˈmon-to/, with the stress on the second syllable mon.
Why is bellissimo used instead of bello, and what does the suffix -issimo indicate?
Bellissimo is the absolute superlative of bello, formed by adding -issimo to the adjective stem. It intensifies the meaning, so instead of just “beautiful,” bellissimo means “very beautiful” or “gorgeous.”
What form of the verb essere is è, and why is it used here?
È is the third person singular present indicative of essere (“to be”). It’s used to state a current quality: “The sunset on the lake is very beautiful.”
Could you change the word order, for example placing bellissimo before tramonto?
Adjectives like bellissimo typically follow the noun in Italian: Il tramonto è bellissimo. You could invert for emphasis or poetic effect—Bellissimo il tramonto sul lago—but the neutral, everyday word order places the adjective after the noun with essere in between.
Are there alternative ways to express the same idea in Italian?

Yes, for example:
• Il tramonto sul lago è stupendo. (“stupendo” = “wonderful”)
• Il tramonto sul lago è magnifico.
• Il tramonto che si riflette sul lago è incantevole. (“incantevole” = “enchanting”)

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Italian grammar?”
Italian grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Italian

Master Italian — from Il tramonto sul lago è bellissimo to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Open the Italiancourse →