Learn Italian: Queste finestre sono chiuse.

Queste finestre sono chiuse.

These windows are closed.

Breakdown of Queste finestre sono chiuse.

Questions & Answers about Queste finestre sono chiuse.

Why use queste instead of questi?

queste is the plural word for "these" used with feminine nouns. Because finestre (windows) is feminine plural, you must use queste. If you were talking about masculine plural nouns, you would use questi.

Why does chiuse end in -e?

In Italian, adjectives must match the noun they describe. Since finestre is feminine and plural, the adjective chiusa (closed) changes its ending to -e to become chiuse. Notice how queste, finestre, and chiuse all perfectly match with that -e ending!

Wait, doesn't sono mean "I am"?

It can mean both "I am" and "they are"! The word sono is both the "I" form and the "they" form of the verb essere (to be). Here, because the subject is queste finestre (these windows), context makes it clear that it means "are".

What would this sentence look like in the singular?

To say "This window is closed", you would change everything to feminine singular: Questa finestra è chiusa. The -e endings change to -a, and the verb sono (are) becomes è (is).