Il mare è blu.

From Lesson 79:Colors (i colori)·Italian

Breakdown of Il mare è blu.

essere
to be
il mare
the sea
blu
dark blue

Questions & Answers about Il mare è blu.

Why is blu translated as dark blue instead of just blue?
In Italian, the word blu specifically refers to a darker, deep blue. For a lighter, sky blue, Italians use a completely different word: azzurro.
Does the adjective blu change its ending if the noun is plural?
No, blu is an invariable adjective, meaning it never changes form. Whether you are describing one sea (il mare è blu) or multiple seas (i mari sono blu), the word stays exactly the same. This is also true for a few other colors like rosa and viola.
The word mare ends in -e. How can I tell if it is masculine or feminine?
Nouns ending in -e can be either masculine or feminine, so you usually have to learn the gender along with the word itself. In this sentence, the definite article il gives it away and tells us that mare is masculine.

Learn Il mare è blu 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