La sarta misura l’orlo con il metro e aggiunge due centimetri di stoffa.

Because sarta is a feminine singular noun, meaning dressmaker or seamstress.

• la = feminine singular definite article
• sarta = feminine form

Compare:

• il sarto = the tailor / male tailor
• la sarta = the seamstress / female tailor

So la sarta means the seamstress.

The apostrophe shows elision: the article loses its final vowel before a word beginning with a vowel.

Here:

• orlo = hem
• the definite article becomes l’ before o

So:

• l’orlo = the hem

This is very common in Italian:

• l’amico = the friend
• l’idea = the idea
• l’orlo = the hem

Orlo is masculine singular.

That is why the article is masculine:

• l’orlo = the hem

If you need the plural:

• l’orlo → gli orli = the hems

So even though l’ is used for both masculine and feminine singular nouns before vowels, the noun itself is still masculine here.

Misura is the third-person singular present indicative of misurare = to measure.

So:

• io misuro = I measure
• tu misuri = you measure
• lui/lei misura = he/she measures

In this sentence, the subject is la sarta, so the verb must be misura:

• La sarta misura... = The seamstress measures...

Because Italian usually does not need subject pronouns when the verb form already shows who is doing the action.

So instead of saying:

• La sarta lei misura...

Italian normally says simply:

• La sarta misura...

The noun la sarta already tells us the subject, and misura matches it.

This is very natural in Italian.

Con il metro means with the measuring tape or with the tape measure here.

Word by word:

• con = with
• il = the
• metro = meter / measuring tape / tape measure, depending on context

In everyday sewing context, metro often means the measuring tool, not just the unit meter.

So here it is best understood as:

• con il metro = using a tape measure

Both can exist, but con il metro is the more neutral and standard modern form.

• con il = with the
• col = contracted form of con il

So:

• con il metro = standard and very common
• col metro = also possible, but less neutral in many contexts

A learner should usually prefer con il unless they are already comfortable with contractions like col and coi.

Aggiunge is the third-person singular present indicative of aggiungere, meaning to add.

Conjugation example:

• io aggiungo = I add
• tu aggiungi = you add
• lui/lei aggiunge = he/she adds

So:

• aggiunge due centimetri di stoffa = she adds two centimeters of fabric

Because the same subject, la sarta, performs both actions.

The structure is:

• La sarta misura l’orlo
• e aggiunge due centimetri di stoffa

In English, this works the same way:

• The seamstress measures the hem and adds two centimeters of fabric.

Italian does not need to repeat la sarta before aggiunge, because it is understood that the same person is doing both actions.

Because due centimetri is the quantity, and di stoffa tells you of what.

So the structure is:

• due centimetri = two centimeters
• di stoffa = of fabric

Together:

• due centimetri di stoffa = two centimeters of fabric

This is the normal Italian order for measurements and quantities:

• un chilo di pane = a kilo of bread
• tre litri d’acqua = three liters of water
• due centimetri di stoffa = two centimeters of fabric

Because after a quantity expression, Italian often uses di + noun with no article when speaking generally about a substance or material.

So:

• due centimetri di stoffa = two centimeters of fabric

Not:

• due centimetri della stoffa unless you specifically mean of the fabric in a more definite sense

Here the sentence is simply talking about adding fabric as material, so di stoffa is the natural choice.

Stoffa means fabric, cloth, or material.

In sewing contexts, stoffa is a very common word for textile material.

So:

• due centimetri di stoffa = two centimeters of fabric

It is a feminine noun:

• la stoffa = the fabric
• una stoffa bella = a beautiful fabric

E means and. It connects the two actions:

• misura l’orlo
• aggiunge due centimetri di stoffa

So the sentence says that the seamstress first measures the hem and adds two centimeters of fabric.

It is a simple coordinating conjunction, just like English and.

The sentence is in the present indicative.

• misura = measures
• aggiunge = adds

In Italian, the present tense can describe:

• something happening now
• a habitual action
• a general process
• a step in a demonstration or explanation

Here it can sound like:

• a description of what she is doing now
• or a standard explanation of a sewing action

Yes. The order is very natural:

• La sarta = subject
• misura = verb
• l’orlo = direct object
• con il metro = prepositional phrase
• e aggiunge... = second coordinated verb phrase

So the pattern is basically:

Subject + verb + object + extra information

That is a very common and straightforward Italian sentence structure.

Aggiunge is pronounced approximately ah-JOON-jeh.

A few useful points:

• gg before i/e makes a soft sound like the j in jam
• giu here sounds roughly like joo
• the final -ge sounds like jeh

So:

• aggiunge ≈ ah-JOON-jeh

Also, aggiungere has an irregular-looking spelling, but it is a very common verb, so it is worth learning early.

In this sentence, it almost certainly means the tool: a measuring tape or tape measure.

Although metro can also mean meter as a unit of length, the context makes the tool meaning more natural:

• misura l’orlo con il metro = she measures the hem with the measuring tape

If it meant the unit, the sentence would not make as much sense with con.

Yes, that is the likely idea.

In sewing context, aggiungere due centimetri di stoffa suggests she is adding an extra amount of fabric, probably to allow for the hem or adjustment.

So it is not just a random quantity; it is part of the sewing operation.

A learner does not need to overthink this grammatically, but contextually it means something like:

• adding an extra two centimeters of fabric
• leaving or attaching enough fabric for the hem

Because aggiungere has a different object here:

• misura l’orlo = she measures the hem
• aggiunge due centimetri di stoffa = she adds two centimeters of fabric

So the two verbs do not share the same object. The first object is l’orlo; the second object is due centimetri di stoffa.

That is why the sentence does not say something like aggiunge l’orlo. That would mean something different and sound wrong in this context.