Learn Hardcore Italian: Io leggo il libro piuttosto che guardo la TV.

The phrase piuttosto che means "rather than". It is used here to contrast the two actions—reading the book instead of watching TV—highlighting the speaker's preference for one activity over the other.

Why is the subject pronoun Io included in the sentence, even though the verbs leggo and guardo already show the subject?

Italian verb conjugations clearly indicate the subject, so it’s common to drop the pronoun. In this sentence, Io is included for emphasis or clarity, but it could be omitted without losing meaning.

Could you break down the verbs leggo and guardo? What do these forms tell us about the subject and tense?

Both leggo and guardo are in the first-person singular present tense. Leggo comes from leggere (to read) and guardo from guardare (to watch). Their forms confirm that the sentence is spoken by I (the speaker) and that the actions take place in the present.

What role do the definite articles il and la play in this sentence?

In Italian, nouns almost always require a definite article. Il libro translates to "the book" and la TV to "the TV", indicating that the speaker is referring to specific, identifiable items.

Is there an alternative expression in Italian to convey "rather than", and how does it compare to piuttosto che?

Yes, you can also use invece di to express "instead of". However, piuttosto che is particularly effective when contrasting two verb phrases directly, as it fits well when comparing two actions, as seen in this sentence.

Why are both actions expressed in the present tense? Does this imply a habitual action or something else?

In Italian, the present tense can indicate habitual actions, general truths, or actions currently taking place. In this context, the sentence could be interpreted as stating a habitual preference or a general behavior, depending on the broader context.