Log inSign up

I cani dormono sui tappeti.

I cani dormono sui tappeti.
The dogs sleep on the carpets.
From Lesson 50:Articulated prepositions with su (sul, sulla)·Italian

Questions & Answers about I cani dormono sui tappeti.

How is the word sui formed here?
sui is a combined word (called an articulated preposition). It is made by blending the preposition su (on) with the plural definite article i (the). Because we are saying 'on the carpets', we combine su + i into sui.
Why do we use sui instead of sugli?
Both sui and sugli mean 'on the' for plural masculine nouns. The choice depends on the noun that follows. tappeti (carpets) starts with a regular consonant (t), so it uses the normal article i (making sui). If the noun started with a vowel, an s followed by a consonant, or a z, it would take the article gli (making sugli).
dormono comes from the verb dormire (to sleep). Why does it end in -ono?
In Italian, regular verbs that end in -ire (like dormire) take the ending -ono for the 'they' form. Since 'the dogs' is a plural subject (they), we drop the -ire and add -ono, giving us dormono.
The singular word for dog is cane. Why is the plural cani when the singular does not end in -o?
Italian nouns that end in -e in the singular can be either masculine or feminine. Regardless of their gender, they almost always change their ending to -i in the plural. So, the masculine noun cane becomes cani.

Learn I cani dormono sui tappeti and more in Italian

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Italian →