Breakdown of Quell'isola è molto piccola.
essere
to be
piccolo
small
molto
very
l'isola
the island (f)
quello
that
Questions & Answers about Quell'isola è molto piccola.
Why is it quell' instead of quella?
The word quello (that) changes its ending to match the noun it describes, acting just like the definite articles (the words for 'the'). Since isola is feminine and starts with a vowel, its 'the' form is l' (l'isola). Therefore, quella drops its last letter and takes an apostrophe to become quell' (quell'isola).
Why does the sentence use piccola instead of piccolo?
Adjectives in Italian must match the gender and number of the noun they describe. Because isola (island) is a feminine singular noun, the adjective piccolo (small) must change its ending to -a, becoming piccola.
Since isola is feminine, why doesn't molto change to molta?
Can I just say quella isola without the apostrophe?
No, you shouldn't. In modern Italian, dropping the vowel and using an apostrophe is mandatory for quello and quella when the following noun starts with a vowel. Saying quella isola sounds clunky and unnatural to Italian ears.
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