Questo antibiotico fa effetto dopo poche ore, ma la terapia va finita.

This antibiotic takes effect after a few hours, but the treatment must be completed.

Breakdown of Questo antibiotico fa effetto dopo poche ore, ma la terapia va finita.

• questo: this
• ma: but
• dopo: after
• l'ora: the hour

Questions & Answers about Questo antibiotico fa effetto dopo poche ore, ma la terapia va finita.

Why is it questo antibiotico and not questa antibiotico?

Because antibiotico is a masculine singular noun, so it takes the masculine singular demonstrative questo.

• questo = this (masculine singular)
• questa = this (feminine singular)

So:

• questo antibiotico = this antibiotic

If the noun were feminine, you would use questa.

What does fa effetto mean here?

Fare effetto is a very common Italian expression meaning to have an effect, to work, or to take effect.

So:

• Questo antibiotico fa effetto dopo poche ore
  = This antibiotic works / takes effect after a few hours

It is more idiomatic than translating word-for-word as makes effect, which would sound wrong in English.

You may also hear it with many other things:

• La medicina fa effetto = The medicine is working.
• Il caffè non mi fa effetto = Coffee doesn’t affect me / doesn’t do anything for me.

Why is there no article before effetto in fa effetto?