Marta vive in un monolocale piccolo ma luminoso.

in

Breakdown of Marta vive in un monolocale piccolo ma luminoso.

• ma: but
• piccolo: small
• vivere: to live

Questions & Answers about Marta vive in un monolocale piccolo ma luminoso.

Why is it vive and not vivere?

Vive is the third-person singular form of the verb vivere (to live).

• vivere = the infinitive, like to live
• vive = he/she lives

Since the subject is Marta, you need the form that means Marta lives:

• Io vivo = I live
• Tu vivi = you live
• Lui/lei vive = he/she lives

So Marta vive = Marta lives.

Why do we use in in vive in un monolocale?

Italian uses in to say where someone lives or is located in many cases.

So:

• vive in una casa = lives in a house
• vive in un appartamento = lives in an apartment
• vive in un monolocale = lives in a studio apartment

Here, in works like English in.

What does monolocale mean exactly?

Monolocale is an Italian noun for a studio apartment or one-room apartment.

It usually means the main living/sleeping area is all one room, with separate bathroom facilities.

It is a very common housing word in Italian, so it is worth learning as a set phrase:

• un monolocale = a studio apartment