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È un trauma terribile.

È un trauma terribile.
It is a terrible trauma.
From Lesson 247:Masculine nouns ending in -ma (-ma, -mi)·Italian

Questions & Answers about È un trauma terribile.

Why is it un trauma and not una trauma since the word ends in -a?
Many Italian nouns ending in -ma are actually masculine, especially those of Greek origin. Because trauma is masculine, it takes the masculine indefinite article un rather than the feminine una. Other common examples you have likely seen include il problema (the problem) and il sistema (the system).
How would I make this sentence plural to say "They are terrible traumas"?
You would say Sono traumi terribili. Masculine nouns ending in -ma change their ending to -i in the plural, just like regular masculine nouns do. The adjective terribile also changes its ending to -i to match the plural noun.
Since trauma is masculine, why doesn't the adjective end in -o?
The word terribile belongs to a group of adjectives that naturally end in -e in the singular. These adjectives use the exact same form for both masculine and feminine nouns. Whether you are describing a masculine noun like un trauma terribile or a feminine noun like una notte terribile (a terrible night), the adjective does not change.
Is trauma pronounced the same way in Italian as it is in English?
No, it sounds quite different. Instead of the English "aw" sound, the Italian au is pronounced by blending the a (ah) and u (oo) sounds quickly together. It sounds similar to the "ow" in the English word "cow", with the stress on the first syllable.

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