Italian grammar · Elementary (A2)
Comparisons: più, meno, come and -issimo
How to say bigger, less expensive, as big as, better and the best in Italian, and how to say “very” with -issimo.
More and less: più… di, meno… di
Put (more) or (less) before the adjective, and (than) before the second thing: . joins with the article: , . Before a pronoun, use the forms : .
Use instead of when you compare two adjectives, two verbs, or two phrases that start with a preposition: (It's more beautiful than comfortable), .
- Questo appartamento è più luminoso dell'altro.This flat is brighter than the other one.
- Mia sorella è meno alta di me.My sister is shorter than me.
- Mi piace più leggere che guardare la televisione.I like reading more than watching television.
As… as: come and quanto
To say two things are equal, use or after the adjective: , (Luca is as tall as his father). You may also hear … or … , but the short forms are more common.
Better, worse, bigger and smaller
and have special comparative forms, (better) and (worse). You can also say , especially about food. The adverbs and become and : (I feel better today).
and mean “older” and “younger” with brothers and sisters: (my older brother).
| Word | Comparative | English |
|---|---|---|
| / | better | |
| / | worse | |
| better (adverb) | ||
| worse (adverb) | ||
| / | bigger; older | |
| / | smaller; younger |
The most, and very: il più… and -issimo
For “the most” or “the -est”, put the article before : (the quietest neighbourhood). “In” after a superlative is : (the most beautiful city in Italy). means “the best”.
To say “very” or “really”, take off the last vowel and add -issimo, which agrees like any adjective: . Adjectives in -co and -go often add an h: → , → . gives .
- È il ristorante più caro della città.It's the most expensive restaurant in town.
- È la migliore pizza di Napoli.It's the best pizza in Naples.
- La cucina è nuovissima.The kitchen is brand new.