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Metto il cuscino sulla scrivania.

Metto il cuscino sulla scrivania.
I put the cushion on the desk.
From Lesson 50:Articulated prepositions with su (sul, sulla)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Metto il cuscino sulla scrivania.

Why is it sulla and not just su la?
In Italian, the preposition su (on) must combine with the definite article (the word for "the") to make one single word. Since scrivania (desk) is a feminine singular noun, it takes the article la. When you combine su + la, they merge to become sulla (on the). You cannot leave them separate as su la.
How do I know whether to use sulla or sul here?
It depends entirely on the gender of the noun you are putting something on! Because scrivania is feminine, we use la, which turns su into sulla. If you were putting the cushion on a masculine object, like il tavolo (the table), you would combine su + il to make sul (sul tavolo).
Where is the word for "I" in this sentence?
It is built right into the verb. Metto means "I put" (from the verb mettere, to put). Because the -o ending already tells us that "I" am doing the action, Italians usually drop the subject pronoun io (I) unless they want to add special emphasis.
Does cuscino mean cushion or pillow?
It means both! In Italian, cuscino is the general word used for both the pillows you sleep on in bed and the decorative cushions you keep on a sofa.

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