Mia sorella è molto competitiva.

to be

Breakdown of Mia sorella è molto competitiva.

• molto: very
• mio: my
• la sorella: the sister

Questions & Answers about Mia sorella è molto competitiva.

Why is it mia sorella and not la mia sorella?

With a singular family member in Italian, you normally use the possessive without the article:

• mia sorella = my sister
• mio fratello = my brother
• mia madre = my mother

So Mia sorella is the standard form here.

You may see the article in some cases, for example:

• with plural family members: le mie sorelle
• with a modified family noun: la mia sorella maggiore
• in some regional, older, or emphatic usage

But in a simple sentence like this, mia sorella is exactly what you would expect.

Why is è written with an accent?

Because è is the verb essere (to be) in the third-person singular:

• è = is

The accent is important because e without an accent usually means and.

So:

• è = is
• e = and

That little accent changes the word completely.

Why is it competitiva and not competitivo?