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Ho molto da fare questa settimana!
I have a lot to do this week!
A lot. What exactly does that mean? A lot? A sack of things? A load of things? Much? Many things?
In normal speech we use the phrase a lot – (yes, it’s technically a phrase composed of two words)… well… a lot!
Many of you are familiar with the word molto, but how many of you know parecchio? Maybe you’ve heard tanto. How many of you have used the phrase un sacco?
This week's lesson is courtesy of Yabla and helps us out with some ways to say a lot in Italian.
Parecchio
No, papà è che c' ho parecchio lavoro da fare, sono un po' sotto pressione.
No, Dad, it's that I have quite a lot of work to do; I'm under a bit of pressure.
From Il Commissario Manara 1: Beato tra le donne Ep. 11 - Part 7 of 11 on Yabla
Keep in mind that like molto, parecchio when used as an adjective changes form to match the noun being modified.
Ci sono parecchie cose strane.
There are a lot of strange things.
From: Il Commissario Manara 1: Un delitto perfetto - Ep. 1 - Part 7 of 14 on Yabla
La cosa is feminine and it’s plural, so we say parecchie cose or molte cose.
But like molto, parecchio is also an adverb. In the following example, parecchio could easily replace molto.
Mi piace molto il posto e poi ho ritrovato vecchi amici e la zia è deliziosa come sempre.
I like the place a lot and then I met up with old friends and Aunt is charming as always.
From: Il Commissario Manara 1: Beato tra le donne Ep. 11 - Part 7 of 11 on Yabla
Un sacco
Un sacco is quite colloquial, as is “bunch!” Sacco translates as “bag,” or “sack, so imagine a big bag of something!
Non fare questa faccia, vedrai che ti farai un sacco di amici.
Don't make that face. You'll see that you'll make a bunch of friends.
From: La Tempesta: film - Part 9 of 26 on Yabla
Tanto
Tanto is another word for a lot. Like the other words above, it can be used as an adjective:
E... insomma, dopo un tempo che in quel momento non sapevo stimare se era tanto o poco.
And... in short, after a time, which in that moment I couldn't assess whether it was a lot or a little.
From: Anna presenta: Il mio parto on Yabla
Certo che firmo per la barella, non avevo tanta scelta.
Of course, I'll sign for a gurney. I didn't have much choice.
From: Anna presenta: Il mio parto on Yabla
Tanto can be used as an adverb as well.
Non andavo tanto veloce, ma mi hanno fatto la multa.
I wasn’t going very fast, but they gave me a ticket.
Grazie a Yabla per questa lezione!
A presto!
Lisa
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