Il bambino è molto intelligente.

to be

Breakdown of Il bambino è molto intelligente.

• molto: very
• il bambino: the child
• intelligente: intelligent

Questions & Answers about Il bambino è molto intelligente.

Why does the sentence start with il? Why not just bambino?

Il means the. Italian usually uses an article where English would also use one, so il bambino = the child / the boy.

You generally would not say just bambino here unless you were using it in a special context, such as calling out to a child or speaking in a very reduced style.

A useful thing to notice:

• il is the masculine singular definite article used before many consonants
• bambino is a masculine singular noun

So il bambino is the normal way to say the child / the boy.

Does bambino mean child or boy?

It can mean either, depending on context.

• bambino = child, kid, or boy
• the feminine form bambina = girl or female child

So in isolation, il bambino may be understood as the child or the boy. Context tells you which is most natural.

Why is it è with an accent?