Emphasis (è ... che)

When reviewing a restaurant, you often want to shine the spotlight on a specific detail, like a standout dish or flawless service. To do this in Italian, use a cleft sentence (frase scissa).

Emphasizing the Subject

To emphasize exactly who or what performs an action, use this formula:

È + [focused element] + che + [rest of the sentence]

This is the exact equivalent of saying "It is [X] who/that..." in English.

It is the chef who prepares these excellent dishes.
È lo chef che prepara questi piatti eccellenti.
It is the fish that is very fresh.
È il pesce che è freschissimo.

This structure allows you to pinpoint exactly which aspect of a meal deserves praise.

It is the presentation of the dish that is impeccable.
È la presentazione del piatto che è impeccabile.

You can further highlight the focused element by attaching descriptive adjectives directly to the noun before the che.

It is the impeccable service that makes the evening perfect.
È il servizio impeccabile che rende la serata perfetta.

Emphasizing Prepositional Phrases

You can also emphasize when, where, or how something happens by putting an entire prepositional phrase immediately after è.

It is with this pairing that the ingredients are enhanced.
È con questo abbinamento che si esaltano gli ingredienti.
It is during the tasting that you notice it.
È durante la degustazione che te ne accorgi.

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