Breakdown of La donna dagli occhiali e dal neo ha uno sguardo triste.
la donna
the woman
e
and
triste
sad
uno
a / an (masculine special)
avere
to have
da
with (a physical feature)
gli occhiali
the glasses
lo sguardo
the gaze / the look
il neo
the mole / the beauty mark
Questions & Answers about La donna dagli occhiali e dal neo ha uno sguardo triste.
Why use dagli occhiali instead of con gli occhiali?
While con gli occhiali is grammatically correct and widely used, Italian frequently uses the preposition da combined with a definite article to highlight a distinctive physical feature or defining characteristic. Here, it paints the glasses and the mole as identifying marks of the woman.
How are the words dagli and dal formed here?
They are articulated prepositions, meaning they combine the preposition da with a definite article. Dagli is made of da + gli (used because occhiali is masculine plural and starts with a vowel). Dal is made of da + il (used because neo, meaning mole, is a masculine singular word starting with a single consonant).
Could I just say da occhiali e da neo without the articles?
What exactly is uno sguardo? Can I use it as a verb like 'to look' in English?
Uno sguardo is a noun meaning a gaze, glance, or look in someone's eyes. You cannot use it as a verb. Ha uno sguardo triste translates to 'she has a sad gaze'. If you wanted to use a verb to say 'she looks sad' (as in, she appears sad), you would use the verb sembrare (to seem) and say lei sembra triste.
Why is it triste and not tristo to match the masculine noun sguardo?
Learn La donna dagli occhiali e dal neo ha uno sguardo triste 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