Learn Italian: Oggi il negozio non è aperto.

Oggi il negozio non è aperto.

Today the shop is not open.

Breakdown of Oggi il negozio non è aperto.

Questions & Answers about Oggi il negozio non è aperto.

Where exactly do we put non to make the sentence negative?

To make a sentence negative in Italian, you simply place non directly in front of the verb. In this sentence, the verb is è (is), so we put non right before it to get non è (is not). Unlike English, you never need to add extra helper words like "does" or "do"!

Why does aperto end with an -o?

Because aperto (open) is an adjective describing il negozio (the shop). Since negozio is a masculine singular noun, the adjective must match it by taking the masculine singular -o ending. If we were talking about a feminine noun like la porta (the door), it would change to aperta.

Can I put oggi at the end of the sentence instead?

Yes, you can! Just like in English, it is perfectly correct to say Il negozio non è aperto oggi (The shop is not open today). Putting oggi (today) at the very beginning just adds a little extra emphasis to the timeframe.

Do non and è blend together when speaking?

Yes! When speaking at a normal speed, Italians link these two words together so they sound almost like a single word. You will hear the emphasis land firmly on the è.