Learn Italian: Gli stivali sono pesanti ma comodi. - The boots are heavy but comfortable.

Gli stivali sono pesanti ma comodi.

The boots are heavy but comfortable.

Breakdown of Gli stivali sono pesanti ma comodi.

Questions & Answers about Gli stivali sono pesanti ma comodi.

Why do we use gli instead of i for "the" in this sentence?

Because stivali is a masculine plural word that starts with an "s" followed by another consonant (the "t"). In Italian, masculine plural words starting with "s + consonant" (as well as a few other special sounds like "z" or "gn") always take the article gli instead of the normal i.

How do you pronounce the word gli?

The gl sound in Italian is unique, but it sounds very similar to the "lli" in the English word "million." You make it by pressing the middle part of your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth.

I thought masculine words usually ended in -i in the plural because they end in -o in the singular. What is the singular of stivali?

The singular is lo stivale (the boot). While most masculine words do end in -o, there is a whole category of Italian nouns that end in -e in the singular. Whether these words are masculine or feminine, their endings always change to -i in the plural.

Why does the adjective pesanti end in -i?