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Il cielo è azzurro.

Il cielo è azzurro.
The sky is light blue.
From Lesson 79:Colors (i colori)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Il cielo è azzurro.

Why is azzurro translated as "light blue" rather than just "blue"?
In Italian, the color blue is usually divided into two different words. Azzurro is used for lighter shades, like the sky, while blu is used for darker shades, like navy blue. Since we are talking about the sky (il cielo), azzurro is the perfect word!
Does the ending of azzurro change depending on what it describes?
Yes, it does. Because cielo is a masculine singular noun, the adjective ends in -o. If it described a feminine noun, it would be azzurra, and for plural nouns it would be azzurri or azzurre. Interestingly, the word for dark blue (blu) is an exception and never changes its ending at all!
Why is there an accent mark on the word è?
The accent mark is crucial because it changes the entire meaning of the word. With the accent, è is the verb meaning "is" (from the verb essere). Without the accent, e simply means "and".

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