Italian Phrase
Adesso vedo un edificio di mattoni rossi.
Meaning
‘I now see a building made of red bricks.’ The speaker is describing something they have just noticed in their surroundings. The present tense *vedo* conveys an immediate visual perception.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to point out a structure you have just spotted, for example while walking through a city, giving a tour, or describing a scene in a story.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Adessovedounedificiodimattonirossi
Adesso
Adverb of time meaning ‘now’; placed at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis.
Vedo
First‑person singular present of *vedere* (to see). It expresses a current perception.
Un
Indefinite article used before masculine singular nouns that begin with a vowel sound.
Edificio
Masculine noun meaning ‘building’; the core subject of the sentence.
Di
Preposition that introduces a material or characteristic, equivalent to ‘made of’.
Mattoni rossi
Noun + adjective phrase. In Italian the adjective *rosso* follows the noun and agrees in number and gender (plural masculine → *rossi*).
🗨In Conversation
Adesso vedo un edificio di mattoni rossi.
I now see a building made of red bricks.
Davvero? È molto bello, vero?
Really? It’s very beautiful, isn’t it?
✕Common Mistakes
Adesso vedo il edificio di mattoni rossi.
Use the indefinite article *un* because the building is being mentioned for the first time, not a specific known one.
Adesso vedo un edificio di mattoni rosso.
Adjectives describing plural nouns must agree in number and gender: *rossi* not *rosso*.
Adesso vedo un edificio di rossi mattoni.
In Italian the adjective follows the noun; *rossi mattoni* sounds unnatural.
↔Alternatives
Adesso sto guardando un edificio di mattoni rossi.
I’m now looking at a building of red bricks.
Ora vedo un edificio costruito con mattoni rossi.
Now I see a building built with red bricks.
Guardo un edificio di mattoni rossi.
I’m looking at a red‑brick building.
Cultural Tip
Red‑brick architecture is typical in many Italian towns, especially in the north (e.g., Lombardy, Veneto). In Italian, adjectives usually follow the noun, which is why *mattoni rossi* (not *rossi mattoni*) is the natural order. Using the indefinite article *un* signals that the speaker is not referring to a specific, previously mentioned building.