Do you make mistakes with the agreement of words like molto and troppo? Do you have problems choosing between tutto and tanto?
Are you sometimes unsure about the correct forms of seemingly easy words like tutto, qualche and ogni?
On this page find how to use these little but important words Molto Tanto Troppo Poco Tutto Ogni Qualche.
Look at these examples to see how gradable and non-gradable adjectives are used.
La biblioteca ha molti libri interessanti.
Ho bevuto molta acqua oggi.
Ci sono tanti cani nel parco.
Lei studia ogni giorno.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
Molto – tanto – troppo – poco
Molto (A Lot/Very)
Molto is your go-to word for expressing a large quantity or intensity. It can mean “a lot,” “many,” or “very,” depending on the context.
- As an adjective: When describing a noun, it changes to match the noun’s gender and number.
- Ho molti amici. (I have many friends.)
- Lei ha molte idee. (She has many ideas.)
- As an adverb: When describing verbs or adjectives, it remains unchanged.
- Ti amo molto. (I love you a lot.)
- È molto bello. (He is very handsome.)
Tanto (So Much/So Many)
Tanto is similar to molto but often implies an excessive amount or a sense of emphasis.
- As an adjective:
- Ho tanti libri da leggere. (I have so many books to read.)
- Ci sono tante persone qui. (There are so many people here.)
- As an adverb:
- Grazie tanto! (Thank you so much!)
- Maria e Paolo si amano tanto. (Maria and Paolo love each other so much.)
Troppo (Too Much/Too Many)
Troppo indicates an excessive amount, often with a negative connotation.
- As an adjective:
- Ci sono troppi compiti da fare. (There are too many assignments to do.)
- Ha mangiato troppa pizza. (She ate too much pizza.)
- As an adverb:
- È troppo difficile. (It’s too difficult.)
- Lui parla troppo velocemente. (He speaks too fast.)
Words like molto and troppo can be adverbs or adjectives as said before, depending on how they are used in a sentence.
👉 Adjectives must always agree in gender and number with the noun they qualify, while the endings of adverbs never change.
So you will be able to tell when molto, troppo and other words like these are adverbs and don’t need to agree in gender and number with the noun they qualify.
Poco (Little/Few)
Poco means a small amount or not much, and it can also describe frequency.
- As an adjective:
- Ho pochi soldi. (I have little money.)
- Ci sono poche persone qui. (There are few people here.)
- As an adverb:
- Dormo poco. (I sleep little.)
- È poco interessante. (It’s not very interesting.)
REMEMBER – When molto, tanto, troppo, and poco modify an adjective or a verb (or other adverbs), they are adverbs.
When they modify (or replace) a noun, they are adjectives (or pronouns) and as such, they need to agree with that noun.
| Meaning | |
|---|---|
| molto, molta; molti, molte | much, a lot of; many |
| tanto, tanta; tanti, tante | much, so much; so many |
| troppo, troppa; troppi, troppe | too much; too many |
| poco, poca; pochi, poche | little; few |
EXAMPLES (as adjectives):
| Lavorate molte ore? | Do you work for many hours? |
| I bambini mangiano troppo gelato. | Children eat too much ice cream. |
| Lui invita pochi amici. | He invites a few friends. |
EXAMPLES (as adverbs):
| Non bevo mai molto la mattina | I never drink much in the morning. |
| Avete speso troppo! | You have spent too much! |
| Il clima inglese è davvero molto strano! | The English climate is truly very strange! |
| Questa radio è troppo piccola. | This radio is too small. |
To help you remember this rule, think of it this way:
when it means ‘very’, molto doesn’t vary.
EXAMPLES (Adjectives):
| Faccio molte passeggiate in campagna. | I take many walks in the countryside. |
| In centro c’è sempre molta gente | There are always many people in the centre. |
| Molti vanno al cinema la domenica | Many (people) go to the cinema on Sundays. |
| Ho preso troppo sole e mi sono scottata la schiena. | I caught too much sun and got my back sunburnt. |
| La frutta mi piace davvero e ne mangio sempre molta. | I really like fruit and I always eat lots (of it). |
| Non guardo più i film western, ne ho visti troppi da bambina | I don’t watch westerns anymore, I saw too many of them as a child. |
Tutto, tutta; tutti, tutte (the whole; all, every)
Tutto (All/Everything)
Tutto is used to talk about the whole of something or everything in general.
- As an adjective:
- Ho letto tutti i libri. (I read all the books.)
- Tutta la città era in festa. (The whole city was celebrating.)
- As a pronoun:
- Tutto è possibile. (Everything is possible.)
- Ho fatto tutto. (I did everything.)
When you use the adjective tutto:
- in the singular, it means the whole;
- when it is used in the plural, it means all, every.
The adjective tutto is followed by the definite article.
EXAMPLES:
| Studi tutto il giorno? | Are you studying for the whole day? |
| Studio tutti i giorni. | I study every day. |
Ogni or Qualche? (Each, Every/Some, A Few)
Ogni (Every/Each)
Ogni is used to talk about each item in a group or every instance of something. It’s always singular.
Ogni is an invariable adjective and it is always followed by a singular noun.
- As an adjective:
- Ogni giorno studio italiano. (Every day I study Italian.)
- Conosco ogni persona qui. (I know each person here.)
Qualche (Some/Any)
Qualche is used for an indefinite small quantity and is always followed by a singular noun, even though it implies a plural meaning.
- As an adjective:
- Ho qualche domanda. (I have some questions.)
- Vuoi qualche cosa? (Do you want anything?)
Tutto and ogni are often used interchangeably.
Ogni giorno -> tutti i giorni (every day)
Ogni mattina -> tutte le mattine (every morning)
EXAMPLES with Ogni:
| Lavoriamo ogni giorno. | We work every day. |
| Ogni settimana gioco a tennis. | Every week I play tennis. |
Qualche and “alcuni” are synonymous e indicating a small quantity.
You can also say “Qualche volta” meaning sometimes.
Qualche settimana (a few weeks)
Qualche giorno (a few days)
EXAMPLES with Qualche:
| Lavoriamo solo qualche ora al giorno. | We only work for a few hours a day. |
| Qualche volta gioco a tennis con i miei amici. | Sometimes I play tennis with my friends |
Conclusion
Learning these words will enhance your Italian skills and make your conversations more engaging. Practice using them in different contexts, and soon you’ll be a master of Italian quantities and frequencies.
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