Learn Italian: Abbiamo comprato un tavolino nuovo per il salotto. - We bought a new small table for the living room.

Abbiamo comprato un tavolino nuovo per il salotto.

We bought a new small table for the living room.

Breakdown of Abbiamo comprato un tavolino nuovo per il salotto.

Questions & Answers about Abbiamo comprato un tavolino nuovo per il salotto.

How does the word tavolino mean 'small table'?

Tavolino comes from the noun tavolo (table). By dropping the final -o and adding the diminutive suffix -ino, it becomes 'small table'. This is a very common way in Italian to make a word smaller or cuter without needing to add the adjective piccolo.

Does the word salotto have a suffix on it too?

Yes! Historically, salotto comes from sala (hall or large room) combined with the suffix -otto, which often gives a cozy or medium-sized feeling. Today, however, salotto is just the standard everyday word for 'living room', so Italians treat it as a basic vocabulary word rather than a modified one.

Why does nuovo come after tavolino here?

In Italian, descriptive adjectives usually go after the noun, so un tavolino nuovo is the standard way to say 'a new small table'. While nuovo can sometimes go before the noun to simply mean 'new to me' (like a used item you just acquired), placing it after the noun emphasizes that the table itself is brand new.

Why aren't per and il combined into a single word like al or dal?