Quando piove, la gente prende l’ombrello.

to take

Breakdown of Quando piove, la gente prende l’ombrello.

• quando: when
• l'ombrello: the umbrella
• piovere: to rain

Questions & Answers about Quando piove, la gente prende l’ombrello.

Why is it piove and not sta piovendo?

Piove is the simple present, and in Italian it is often used for general truths, habits, and typical situations.
So Quando piove, la gente prende l’ombrello means something like When it rains, people take an umbrella.

If you said sta piovendo, that would mean it is raining right now, so the sentence would sound more tied to a specific moment:

• Quando sta piovendo, la gente prende l’ombrello = When it is raining, people take an umbrella

That version is possible, but piove is more natural for a general statement.

Why is there no word for it in piove?

In Italian, weather verbs often work without an expressed subject.
So:

• Piove = It’s raining / It rains
• Nevica = It’s snowing / It snows

English needs it, but Italian does not. The -e ending already tells you the verb form.

Why is it la gente prende and not la gente prendono?