È da stamattina che la cuoca prepara il brodo per la cena.

It is a very common Italian pattern used to talk about an action that started in the past and is still going on now.

• È da stamattina che... = It’s been since this morning that...
• In natural English, you would usually translate the whole sentence with has/have been ...ing

So this structure is not meant to be translated word by word. Think of it as a fixed pattern:

• È da + time expression + che + present tense

Example pattern:

• È da due ore che studio. = I’ve been studying for two hours.

Because in Italian, when an action began earlier and continues now, the present tense is often used.

So:

• prepara = present tense of preparare
• but in context it means has been preparing

This is different from English, which usually prefers the present perfect continuous:

• has been preparing

Italian often uses:

• È da stamattina che la cuoca prepara...

rather than a past tense.

Here che links the time expression to the clause that follows.

In this structure:

• È da stamattina che la cuoca prepara il brodo...

the che introduces the action that has been going on since that time.

It does not mean that in the usual literal English sense here. It is simply part of the pattern È da... che...

So it is best learned as a complete structure, not word by word.

Yes, you can, and it is understandable. It also means that she has been preparing the broth since this morning.

However, È da stamattina che... is often more natural when you want to emphasize the duration or starting point.

Compare:

• La cuoca prepara il brodo da stamattina.
• È da stamattina che la cuoca prepara il brodo.

The second version puts more focus on since this morning.

Italian uses the definite article much more often than English.

So:

• la cuoca = the cook

Even when English might say just the cook in a general way, Italian usually keeps the article with nouns like this.

Also:

• cuoca is feminine singular
• the masculine form is cuoco

So la cuoca specifically means the female cook.

Because in this sentence the broth is treated as a specific thing being prepared.

So:

• il brodo = the broth

Italian often uses the article where English may or may not use one, depending on context. Here the broth is understood as the particular broth for dinner, so il brodo sounds natural.

If you removed the article, it would sound less natural in this sentence.

Stamattina means this morning.

It is a very common fused form:

• sta- from questa
• mattina = morning

So:

• stamattina = this morning
• questa mattina = also this morning

Both are correct. Stamattina is often a little more compact and conversational.

In this sentence, da stamattina means:

• since this morning
• or more literally, from this morning onward

Because da is the preposition used to mark the starting point in time.

So:

• da stamattina = since this morning

This is exactly the idea needed here: the action began this morning and continues now.

You could also say:

• da questa mattina

That is also correct, but da stamattina is shorter and very common.

Per stamattina would mean something different, more like for this morning, not since this morning.

Per la cena means for dinner or more specifically for the evening meal.

So the broth is being prepared:

• for dinner
• for tonight’s meal

Breakdown:

• per = for
• la cena = dinner / the evening meal

In Italian:

• pranzo = lunch
• cena = dinner / supper

Yes, you could say:

• È da stamattina che la cuoca sta preparando il brodo per la cena.

This is also correct.

Difference:

• prepara = simple present, very common in this kind of ongoing-time expression
• sta preparando = explicitly stresses the action as in progress

Both can work, but in Italian the simple present is often enough, especially with a time phrase like È da stamattina che...

It mainly emphasizes the time span: the fact that this has been going on since this morning.

That is why the sentence begins with:

• È da stamattina che...

If you started with La cuoca prepara..., the focus would be more neutral. By putting the time expression first in this special structure, Italian highlights the duration.

Yes, very often. This is a productive pattern.

Examples:

• È da un’ora che aspetto. = I’ve been waiting for an hour.
• È da ieri che piove. = It’s been raining since yesterday.
• È da tre mesi che lavorano qui. = They’ve been working here for three months.

So once you learn È da... che + present tense, you can use it in many everyday situations.

A rough breakdown is:

• È = it is
• da stamattina = since this morning
• che = that / linking word in this structure
• la cuoca = the cook
• prepara = prepares / is preparing
• il brodo = the broth
• per la cena = for dinner

But remember: the sentence should be understood as a whole, not translated mechanically word by word.

A natural English rendering is:

• The cook has been preparing the broth for dinner since this morning.