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Questa pista è difficile, ma quella del principiante è facile.

Questa pista è difficile, ma quella del principiante è facile.
This slope is difficult, but the beginner's is easy.
From Lesson 287:Demonstrative pronouns of possession (quello di, quella di)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Questa pista è difficile, ma quella del principiante è facile.

How does quella work in this sentence?
Quella translates to "that" or "that one," and here it replaces the feminine singular noun pista to avoid repeating it. While English says "the beginner's", Italian phrasing is literally "that of the beginner" (quella del principiante).
Why is it del principiante instead of just di principiante?
In Italian, you almost always need the definite article before a noun, even after di (of). Since "the beginner" is il principiante, you combine di + il to get the articulated preposition del.
The word principiante ends in -e. How do we know it is masculine here?
We know it is masculine because of the combined preposition del (di + il). Principiante is a noun that has the same form for both genders. If the beginner were a woman, you would use la, making the phrase della principiante (di + la).
Can pista mean things other than a ski slope?
Yes, pista is a very versatile word. Aside from a ski slope (pista da sci), it can be a dance floor (pista da ballo), a race track, a bike path (pista ciclabile), or an airport runway. The context of "difficult" and "beginner" usually points to a ski slope or a sports track.

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