Breakdown of Un raggio di luce attraversa il corridoio.
la luce
the light
di
of
attraversare
to cross
il corridoio
the corridor
il raggio
the ray
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Questions & Answers about Un raggio di luce attraversa il corridoio.
Why do we use di in un raggio di luce instead of della luce?
The simple preposition di (without an article) expresses a general or uncountable “of light,” much like English beam of light. If you used della luce (di + il), it would mean “of the light,” referring to a specific light already mentioned. Italian often drops the article in these generic/genitive constructions (e.g. bicchiere d’acqua, poesia d’amore).
Why is the indefinite article un used before raggio, and not uno?
In Italian, the masculine indefinite article is un before most consonants and vowels. You use uno only before masculine nouns that start with s + consonant (e.g. uno studente), z (e.g. uno zaino), ps, gn, x, y. Since raggio begins with a simple consonant, the correct form is un raggio.
What is the function and tense of attraversa, and how would you translate it?
Attraversa is the third-person singular present indicative of attraversare (“to cross”). Italian uses the simple present for both English simple present (“he crosses”) and present continuous (“he is crossing”). In context you might translate it as “a beam of light crosses” or “a beam of light is crossing.”
Why is there no subject pronoun like esso (“it”) before attraversa?
Italian verbs are conjugated for person and number, so the subject pronoun is redundant unless you need to emphasize or clarify. Attraversa already signals third-person singular, so adding esso would sound stiff and unnecessary.
Why is corridoio singular and introduced by the definite article il instead of un?
Using il corridoio indicates you’re talking about a specific corridor known to the speaker or listener. If you wanted to introduce an unspecified corridor, you’d say un corridoio. Here the corridor is definite, hence il.
Can we say la luce attraversa il corridoio instead of un raggio di luce attraversa il corridoio?
Yes. La luce attraversa il corridoio (“the light crosses the corridor”) is grammatically correct. The nuance changes: raggio di luce highlights a single beam, while la luce treats light more generally.
Is luce here countable or uncountable? Why not un raggio di luci?
In this context, luce is uncountable (the phenomenon of light), so it stays singular—just like “light” in English. Luci would mean discrete light sources (“lights,” like bulbs), which wouldn’t make sense with “raggio.”
What’s the difference between attraversa il corridoio and passa attraverso il corridoio?
Both mean “to cross the corridor.” Attraversare is a transitive verb that directly takes the object (attraversa il corridoio). Passare attraverso uses a verb plus preposition (passa attraverso il corridoio) but conveys the same idea. Attraversare is simply more concise.
How do you pronounce corridoio, and where does the stress fall?
Corridoio is pronounced [kor-ˈrid-djo]. The stress falls on the penultimate syllable -dó-, and the double d is held a bit longer than a single d.
Could you change the word order for emphasis, e.g. Attraversa il corridoio un raggio di luce?
Yes—Italian allows flexibility. Fronting Attraversa il corridoio highlights the action and place first, then reveals the subject un raggio di luce, creating a more poetic or dramatic effect.