Breakdown of È pericoloso sorpassare un'altra macchina qui.
essere
to be
un
a / an (masculine)
la macchina
car
qui
here
pericoloso
dangerous
altro
other, another
sorpassare
to overtake
Questions & Answers about È pericoloso sorpassare un'altra macchina qui.
Why does the sentence use the infinitive sorpassare instead of conjugating it?
Just like the expression bisogna (it is necessary) that you are learning in this lesson, impersonal phrases like è pericoloso (it is dangerous) are followed directly by the infinitive of the verb. You are making a general statement, not talking about a specific person doing the action.
Why is the adjective pericoloso in the masculine singular form here?
In impersonal expressions starting with è (like è facile, è difficile, or è pericoloso), the adjective always takes the default masculine singular form. Even though the sentence mentions a feminine noun (macchina) later, pericoloso describes the general action of overtaking, not the car itself.
Why is there an apostrophe in un'altra?
The word macchina (car) is feminine, so we need the feminine words una (a/an) and altra (other). When una comes right before a word starting with a vowel like altra, the final a drops and is replaced by an apostrophe to make it easier to say. Remember that this only happens with feminine words; masculine words starting with a vowel just use un without an apostrophe.
Could I use qua instead of qui at the end of this sentence?
Yes! Both qui and qua mean here. Qui often implies a more exact, specific spot, while qua can feel a bit broader or general (like around here). In everyday conversation, however, they are practically interchangeable.
Learn È pericoloso sorpassare un'altra macchina qui 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