Elena legge le etichette con calma e porta i libri in soggiorno.

Legge is the third-person singular present tense of leggere (to read).

So:

• io leggo = I read
• tu leggi = you read
• lui/lei legge = he/she reads

Because the subject is Elena, a single person, Italian uses legge.

Porta is the third-person singular present tense of portare (to carry, bring, take).

So:

• io porto = I carry / bring / take
• tu porti = you carry / bring / take
• lui/lei porta = he/she carries / brings / takes

Since Elena is again the subject, porta matches her.

Because both verbs have the same subject.

In Elena legge le etichette con calma e porta i libri in soggiorno, the subject Elena applies to both:

• Elena legge...
• (Elena) porta...

Italian, like English, does not need to repeat the subject when it stays the same across coordinated verbs.

Because etichette is a feminine plural noun.

The singular is:

• l’etichetta = the label

The plural is:

• le etichette = the labels

So the article changes to match the noun:

• feminine singular: la / l’
• feminine plural: le

Because libri is a masculine plural noun.

The singular is:

• il libro = the book

The plural is:

• i libri = the books

Italian articles must agree with the noun in gender and number, so:

• masculine singular: il
• masculine plural: i

Italian uses definite articles more often than English does.

So where English may sometimes say:

• reads labels
• carries books

Italian very naturally says:

• legge le etichette
• porta i libri

In this sentence, le and i mean the, and they sound normal and expected.

Con calma is a very common Italian expression meaning something like:

• calmly
• slowly and without rushing
• in a relaxed way

Literally, it means with calm.

Italian often uses a preposition + noun expression where English might prefer an adverb. So:

• con calma = calmly / unhurriedly

You could sometimes use calmamente, but con calma is extremely natural and common in everyday Italian.

Portare can correspond to several English verbs, depending on context:

• carry
• bring
• take

In this sentence, porta i libri in soggiorno means Elena moves the books to the living room. In natural English, that could be:

• takes the books into the living room
• carries the books into the living room
• sometimes brings the books into the living room

The Italian verb itself does not force the same distinction English often does.

Both can be possible, but they are not always felt in exactly the same way.

• in soggiorno = in / into the living room
• nel soggiorno = in / into the living room, with in + il = nel

In Italian, with rooms and common locations, the article is often omitted in set expressions, especially when the place is understood in a general, natural way. So in soggiorno sounds very normal.

Nel soggiorno is also possible, and may feel a bit more specific: into the living room / in the living room as a particular room.

So for a learner, the key point is:

• in soggiorno is idiomatic and correct
• nel soggiorno can also be correct in many contexts

Here it most naturally means into the living room, because the verb porta suggests movement.

So:

• porta i libri in soggiorno = she takes/carries the books into the living room

Italian often uses in for both location and movement to a place, and the verb helps you understand which meaning is intended.

Both are possible.

Italian word order is often more flexible than English. In this sentence:

• legge le etichette con calma sounds very natural
• legge con calma le etichette is also possible

The version given places con calma after the object le etichette, which is perfectly normal. Moving con calma earlier can slightly change what is emphasized, but both are grammatical.

Yes. Italian is a pro-drop language, which means subject pronouns or subjects are often omitted when the verb makes the subject clear.

For example:

• Legge le etichette con calma e porta i libri in soggiorno.

can mean:

• She reads the labels calmly and takes the books into the living room.

However, using Elena is helpful when you want to identify exactly who is doing the action, or when introducing the subject clearly.

Yes, legge can also be the noun law.

For example:

• la legge = the law

But in this sentence, legge is clearly a verb, because it comes after the subject Elena and before the object le etichette:

• Elena legge le etichette = Elena reads the labels

So context makes the meaning clear.

You usually learn the gender together with the noun:

• il soggiorno = the living room

That tells you it is masculine singular.

Then the plural article and related forms would follow masculine patterns if needed. In this sentence, the noun appears after in, so you do not see il, but the base noun is still masculine.

Yes. The whole sentence is in the present tense:

• legge
• porta

In Italian, the present tense can describe:

1. what is happening now

   • Elena is reading the labels and taking the books into the living room.

2. a habitual or routine action

   • Elena reads the labels calmly and takes the books into the living room.

Just like in English, the exact interpretation depends on context.