Learn Italian: C'è molto vento, sta per arrivare un temporale. - There is a lot of wind, a thunderstorm is about to arrive.

C'è molto vento, sta per arrivare un temporale.

There is a lot of wind, a thunderstorm is about to arrive.

Breakdown of C'è molto vento, sta per arrivare un temporale.

Questions & Answers about C'è molto vento, sta per arrivare un temporale.

How does the phrase sta per arrivare mean "is about to arrive"?

This sentence uses the structure stare per + infinitive verb, which means "to be about to" do something. Stare is conjugated as sta (it is) to match the thunderstorm, followed by per, and then the infinitive verb arrivare (to arrive).

Why is un temporale (a thunderstorm) at the very end of the sentence?

In English, we usually put the subject first: "A thunderstorm is about to arrive." In Italian, when introducing a new event or something arriving on the scene, it's very common to flip the order and put the subject after the verb. You could say un temporale sta per arrivare, but putting it at the end sounds more natural and builds a little suspense.

Why does the sentence use c'è (there is) to talk about the wind?

To describe weather conditions, Italian frequently uses c'è (there is) or ci sono (there are) paired with a noun. Instead of using an adjective like "windy" or "sunny", Italians say c'è vento (there is wind) or c'è il sole (there is the sun).

Why is it molto vento and not another form of molto?