woman
The Italian word 'donna' is used to refer to a female adult or a woman. It is a common noun widely used in everyday conversation both formally and informally. Just like in English, 'donna' can be used in different contexts such as family, work, social activities, etc.
The woman is reading a book.
This sentence uses 'donna' (woman) as the subject of the sentence. The verb 'sta leggendo' (is reading) is in the present continuous tense, describing an action that is currently ongoing. The object 'un libro' (a book) is what the woman is reading.
Woman, please pass me the salt.
In this case, 'Donna' is used to address someone directly, similar to 'Miss' or 'Ma'am' in English. Following this, 'passami il sale per favore' translates to 'please pass me the salt'. This is a common phrase used in a polite request.
The woman's bag is red.
In the sentence, 'donna' is again used as the subject, but this time in a possessive context ('della donna' translates to 'woman's'). The attribute described is 'è rossa' (is red), referring to the color of the woman's bag ('borsa').