Word
Sono in quattordicesima posizione.
Meaning
They are in fourteenth position.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Sono in quattordicesima posizione.
essere
to be
in
in / made of (material)
quattordicesimo
fourteenth
la posizione
position
Questions & Answers about Sono in quattordicesima posizione.
How do you form the word quattordicesima from the number 14?
To form ordinal numbers from 11 upwards, you take the regular number, drop its final vowel, and add the suffix -esimo. So quattordici (14) drops the final -i to become quattordic-, and then we add the suffix.
Why does it end in -a (quattordicesima) instead of -o (quattordicesimo)?
Ordinal numbers ending in -esimo act just like regular adjectives. They must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. Because posizione is a feminine singular noun, the suffix changes to -esima.
Why is it just in instead of nella (in the)?
When talking about rankings or placements (like in races, charts, or sports), Italian often uses the simple preposition in without the definite article. You will commonly hear set phrases like in prima posizione or in ultima posizione.
The translation says 'They are', but doesn't sono also mean 'I am'?
Yes! Because Italian usually drops subject pronouns, sono by itself can mean either 'I am' or 'They are'. In a real conversation, the surrounding context would make it obvious exactly who is in fourteenth position.