Learn Hardcore Italian: Anche il giudizio sul sapore della zuppa è molto soggettivo. - The opinion on the flavour of the soup is also very subjective.

anche is an adverb meaning “also” or “even.” Placing it at the beginning emphasizes that even the judgment about the soup’s taste is highly subjective. You could move it: Il giudizio… è anche molto soggettivo, but starting with anche gives extra emphasis.

Why is there il before giudizio instead of un, and when do we use the definite article in general statements?

In Italian, the definite article (il) often appears before abstract or general nouns when making broad statements (“Judgment is subjective” → Il giudizio è soggettivo). Using un giudizio would mean “a judgment” (one of many), not the general concept.

How does sul relate to su + il, and what does it mean?

sul is the contraction of su (on/about) + il (the). So sul sapore literally means “on the taste” but translates as “about the taste.”

Why is it della zuppa and not di la zuppa?

di (of) + la (the) must merge into della in Italian. So sapore della zuppa = “taste of the soup.”

Why is the adjective soggettivo ending in -o, and can it change if the noun is different?

Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. giudizio is masculine singular, so the adjective is soggettivo (m.s.). If you talked about le opinioni (f.pl.), you’d say molto soggettive.

What does molto add to soggettivo, and why is it placed before the adjective?

molto means “very.” Placed before an adjective, it intensifies it: molto soggettivo = “very subjective.” In Italian, adverbs of degree like molto almost always precede the adjective they modify.

Could you substitute giudizio with opinione in Italian, and what’s the difference between giudizio, opinione, and parere?

Yes, you could say opinione or parere, but there are slight nuances:

giudizio often implies a more formal assessment or verdict.
opinione is your personal view or belief.
parere is also a personal opinion but can sound a bit more polite or tentative.
All three can be used in this sentence with slightly different shades of meaning.

Why is there no explicit subject pronoun before è?

Italian regularly drops subject pronouns (io, tu, lui, etc.) because the verb ending (-è) already tells you it’s third-person singular. Adding esso or lui here would be unusual and redundant.

How do you pronounce giudizio and zuppa, especially the giu and z sounds?

giudizio is pronounced /dʒuˈdittsjo/: giu = /dʒu/ (like “ju” in “juice”), di = /di/, and zio = /ttsjo/ (double z is /tts/).
zuppa is /ˈtsuppa/: z = the voiceless affricate /ts/ (think “ts” in “cats”), u = /u/, and double pp is a longer /p/.