Breakdown of Questo ragazzo è molto portato per il calcio.
essere
to be
il ragazzo
boy
questo
this (masculine)
molto
very
per
for / in order to / because of
il calcio
soccer, football
portato
gifted, inclined
Questions & Answers about Questo ragazzo è molto portato per il calcio.
Wait, doesn't portato usually mean brought or carried? How does it mean gifted?
Yes, portato is the past participle of portare (to bring or carry). However, when used as an adjective alongside the preposition per, the phrase essere portato per takes on a figurative meaning: to be naturally inclined toward, suited for, or gifted at something.
The lesson mentions these adjectives taking per plus an infinitive. Could we use a verb here instead of the noun il calcio?
Why is it per il calcio and not just per calcio, since we simply say for football in English?
In Italian, sports, subjects of study, and broad concepts almost always require a definite article, even when they directly follow a preposition. Because you are talking about football as a general category here, you must include the article and say il calcio.
If the subject of the sentence were a girl, would portato change?
Yes. Even though it acts as a trigger for the preposition per, portato is still functioning as an adjective describing the subject. If you changed the subject to a female, the adjective would have to agree in gender and number, resulting in Questa ragazza è molto portata per il calcio.
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