Breakdown of La minoranza è piccola, ma è molto rumorosa.
essere
to be
piccolo
small
molto
very
ma
but
rumoroso
noisy
la minoranza
the minority
Questions & Answers about La minoranza è piccola, ma è molto rumorosa.
Even though a "minority" consists of many people, why do we use the singular adjectives piccola and rumorosa?
La minoranza (the minority) is a collective noun. In Italian, grammar is very strict about agreement: because the noun itself is feminine and singular, all verbs and adjectives connected to it must also be feminine and singular (è, piccola, rumorosa). You cannot use plural forms just because the group contains multiple people.
Why is it molto rumorosa instead of molta rumorosa to match the feminine noun?
Where is the word for "it" in the second half of the sentence (ma è molto rumorosa)?
Italian drops subject pronouns when it is obvious who or what is performing the action. Because we just established that la minoranza is the subject, there is no need to insert a word for "it" (like essa). The verb è on its own is perfectly clear.
Can rumorosa mean "vocal" or "outspoken" here, or just literally "making loud sounds"?
It can mean both! Just like in English, calling a group of people rumorosa (noisy) can mean they make a lot of literal noise, but in social or political contexts like this one, it usually means they are very vocal, outspoken, and make sure their opinions are heard.
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