Breakdown of Abitiamo nell'Europa occidentale.
in
in / made of (material)
abitare
to live
l'Europa
Europe
occidentale
western
Questions & Answers about Abitiamo nell'Europa occidentale.
Why is it nell'Europa instead of just in Europa?
Normally, continents and countries take the preposition in without a definite article when expressing location (like in Europa). However, because Europa is modified by the adjective occidentale in this sentence, the definite article is suddenly required. The preposition in combines with the article l' to form nell'.
Why does occidentale come after Europa?
In Italian, classifying adjectives—such as geographical regions, nationalities, or directions—almost always follow the noun they modify. Therefore, Western Europe is phrased literally as Europa occidentale.
Could I use viviamo instead of abitiamo here?
Since Europa is feminine, why doesn't occidentale end in -a?