Breakdown of Quel palazzo moderno è l'ospedale.
essere
to be
l'ospedale
the hospital
moderno
modern
quello
that
il palazzo
the building
Questions & Answers about Quel palazzo moderno è l'ospedale.
Why does the sentence use quel instead of quello?
The word quello (meaning "that") changes its shape depending on the noun that follows it, following the exact same rules as the definite articles (il, lo, la, etc.). Because palazzo is a masculine singular noun that starts with a regular consonant, it would take the article il (il palazzo). Following that same pattern, quello drops its ending and becomes quel (quel palazzo).
Does palazzo mean "palace"?
It can in historical contexts, but in modern everyday Italian, a palazzo usually just means a large "building" or an "apartment block." This is a classic "false friend" that often tricks English speakers!
Why does moderno come after palazzo instead of before it?
In Italian, descriptive adjectives like moderno (modern) usually go immediately after the noun they describe. So instead of saying "that modern building," Italian phrases it as "that building modern" (quel palazzo moderno).
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