Il risultato è migliore del previsto.

The result is better than expected.

Breakdown of Il risultato è migliore del previsto.

• essere: to be
• il risultato: the result
• di: than
• migliore: better
• il previsto: the expected

Questions & Answers about Il risultato è migliore del previsto.

Why is the phrase del previsto used instead of a longer comparative clause like di quanto era previsto?

Del previsto is a concise, conventional way in Italian to convey “than expected.” It combines the preposition di with the article il (contracted to del) before the adjective previsto, which has been nominalized. This elliptical construction allows speakers to compare without repeating the entire clause, much like the English “than expected” instead of “than what was expected.”

What is the reason for using the adjective migliore rather than meglio in this sentence?

In Italian, migliore is the comparative form of the adjective buono (good) and is used to describe a noun. Since risultato (result) is a noun, it needs an adjectival modifier. Meglio, on the other hand, is the adverbial form used to describe how an action is performed. Thus, Il risultato è migliore correctly describes the quality of the result.

Why is the definite article il used before risultato?

The definite article il indicates that we are referring to a specific, known result. In Italian—as in English with “the”—articles play a crucial role in specifying whether you're talking about something in general or a particular item. Here, il risultato means “the result” that is under discussion or evaluation.

Can the sentence be rephrased while keeping the same meaning, and if so, how?

Yes, the sentence can be rephrased. For instance, you could say Il risultato supera le aspettative (“The result exceeds expectations”) or Il risultato è migliore di quanto previsto (“The result is better than what was expected”). These alternatives convey the same general idea, although they might emphasize slightly different aspects of the comparison.

How does the comparative structure in this Italian sentence compare to the one typically used in English?

Both Italian and English use a comparative form to express that one thing is of a higher degree in quality than another. In English, we say “The result is better than expected.” Similarly, Italian uses the irregular comparative adjective migliore along with a prepositional phrase del previsto. However, Italian often packs what might be a longer clause in English into a compact form, and it employs specific articles and contractions (like del for di + il) to achieve that conciseness.