Suono meglio il pianoforte con calma.

I play the piano better calmly.

Breakdown of Suono meglio il pianoforte con calma.

• io: I
• con: with
• la calma: the calm
• suonare: to play
• il pianoforte: the piano
• meglio: better

Questions & Answers about Suono meglio il pianoforte con calma.

Why is there no io (I) before suono?

Italian is often called a pro-drop language, meaning it commonly omits the subject pronoun when the verb form makes the subject clear. The conjugation suono already indicates the subject is io (I), so including io can sound unnecessary or overly emphatic, although it’s not grammatically incorrect to use it.

Why do we use the adverb meglio instead of the adjective migliore?

Meglio is the comparative form of the adverb bene (well). It modifies the verb suono, describing how the action is done—so it needs an adverb, not an adjective. In contrast, migliore is the comparative form of the adjective buono (good) and would modify a noun.

Why does the sentence say il pianoforte instead of dropping the article?

In Italian, definite articles are used more frequently than in English, even when referring to a general or abstract entity such as playing the piano in general. Saying il pianoforte can simply mean the piano in a broad sense, rather than pointing to a specific instrument.

How does the phrase con calma work in the sentence?

Con calma is an adverbial phrase meaning calmly or without haste. It tells us the manner in which you perform the action (I play the piano more effectively when I’m calm). It functions similarly to an adverb, giving more nuance to suono—namely, that the music improves under a collected, unhurried approach.