La musica di oggi è migliore di quella di ieri, secondo mia sorella.

to be

Breakdown of La musica di oggi è migliore di quella di ieri, secondo mia sorella.

• di: of
• oggi: today
• mia: my
• la musica: the music
• secondo: according to
• ieri: yesterday
• la sorella: the sister
• di: than
• migliore: better
• quella: that

Questions & Answers about La musica di oggi è migliore di quella di ieri, secondo mia sorella.

What do the phrases La musica di oggi and quella di ieri signify in this sentence?

La musica di oggi literally means "today's music" while quella di ieri serves as a substitute for "yesterday's music." The demonstrative pronoun quella avoids the repetition of la musica, making the sentence more fluid.

How is the comparative adjective migliore formed and used in this context?

Migliore is the irregular comparative form of buono (good), meaning "better." In Italian, comparisons are often structured as subject + verb + comparative adjective + di (introducing the element being compared), as seen in this sentence.

What function does the preposition di serve in the phrases di oggi, di quella, and di ieri?

The preposition di here primarily indicates a relation of time or association. In di oggi and di ieri, it marks the time reference ("today" and "yesterday"). In di quella, it connects the comparative adjective migliore with what is being compared, effectively meaning "than that (of yesterday)."

Why is the demonstrative pronoun quella used in the phrase di quella di ieri instead of repeating la musica?

Using quella is a common strategy in Italian to avoid redundancy. Since la musica is already mentioned at the beginning, quella efficiently replaces it in the comparative structure, ensuring clarity and reducing repetition.

What does the phrase secondo mia sorella mean, and how does it affect the interpretation of the sentence?

Secondo mia sorella means "according to my sister." It qualifies the statement by indicating that the opinion about music being better today is attributed to the speaker's sister, rather than being an objective or universally accepted fact.

Is the comma before secondo mia sorella important, and what does its placement indicate?

Yes, the comma is important as it sets off the attributive phrase secondo mia sorella from the rest of the sentence. This punctuation signals a pause, emphasizing that the judgment expressed is specifically someone else's opinion, thereby enhancing the sentence's clarity.