Breakdown of Il mare è agitato e annullano la crociera.
essere
to be
e
and
il mare
the sea
annullare
to cancel (an event, order)
Questions & Answers about Il mare è agitato e annullano la crociera.
Why does the sentence use annullano (they cancel) if no specific people are mentioned?
Is agitato the normal word to use for a "rough" sea?
Yes! While agitato usually means "agitated", "anxious", or "restless" when describing people, it is the standard vocabulary word for a "rough" or "choppy" sea (il mare agitato).
Why is it in the present tense (annullano) if the cancellation is the result of the sea being rough right now?
Italians frequently use the present tense for future actions that are certain, decided, or happening very soon. You could also use the future tense here: ...e annulleranno la crociera (and they will cancel the cruise), but the present tense feels more immediate.
Since this lesson is about a meno che non, how would we combine these ideas to say "They won't cancel the cruise unless the sea is rough"?
You would say: Non annullano la crociera a meno che il mare non sia agitato. Notice that a meno che non requires the subjunctive mood (sia) and includes an extra non that doesn't actually make the second half of the sentence negative.