Learn Italian: Questo bicchiere è vuoto?

Questo bicchiere è vuoto?

Is this glass empty?

Breakdown of Questo bicchiere è vuoto?

Questions & Answers about Questo bicchiere è vuoto?

Since bicchiere ends in -e, how do I know if it's masculine or feminine?

Nouns ending in -e can be masculine or feminine, so you usually have to memorize their gender. However, in this sentence, the other words give it away! Both the word for "this" (questo) and "empty" (vuoto) use the masculine singular -o ending, which proves that bicchiere is masculine.

How do I make bicchiere plural?

The plural is bicchieri. For the group of nouns that end in -e in the singular, the plural ending is always -i, no matter if the noun is masculine or feminine. To say "these empty glasses", the whole sentence would change to questi bicchieri sono vuoti.

Why doesn't the sentence start with the verb, like the English "Is this..."?

In Italian, you don't need to swap the word order to ask a yes/no question. You just use the exact same word order as a regular statement (Questo bicchiere è vuoto) and raise the pitch of your voice at the end to make it a question.

Does bicchiere also mean the material "glass"?

No, bicchiere only refers to a drinking glass. If you are talking about the material itself, such as the glass in a window, you would use the word vetro.