Word
Puoi scegliere la lunghezza del pizzo.
Meaning
You can choose the length of the lace.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Puoi scegliere la lunghezza del pizzo.
di
of, from
potere
can, to be able to
scegliere
to choose
la lunghezza
the length
Questions & Answers about Puoi scegliere la lunghezza del pizzo.
How is the word lunghezza formed, and what are some similar measurement nouns?
It is formed by combining the adjective lungo (long) with the suffix -ezza, which creates abstract nouns. Other highly useful spatial nouns formed this way include larghezza (width, from largo) and altezza (height, from alto). Notice the added 'h' in lunghezza and larghezza to maintain the hard 'g' sound from the original adjectives.
I've heard the word pizzo used in news stories. Does it only mean "lace"?
In this sentence, pizzo refers to the delicate fabric "lace". However, it has two other very common meanings you should know at the B2 level: it can mean a "goatee" (a pointed beard), and it is also the standard term for "protection money" extorted by organized crime, commonly seen in the phrase pagare il pizzo.
As a quick refresher, what is the past participle of the irregular verb scegliere?
The past participle is scelto. If you wanted to say "You have chosen the lace", it would be Hai scelto il pizzo. It is a common stumbling block because the infinitive features a soft 'gl' sound, while the past participle drops that entirely and uses a hard 'c' sound followed by a 't'.