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Breakdown of Questa valigia è più robusta della borsa di tela.
essere
to be
di
of
la borsa
the bag
questa
this
più
more
la valigia
the suitcase
di
than
robusto
sturdy
la tela
the canvas
Questions & Answers about Questa valigia è più robusta della borsa di tela.
Why is the adjective più robusta used instead of più robusto?
Because valigia is a feminine singular noun, the adjective must agree in gender and number. You use robusta (feminine singular) rather than robusto (masculine singular).
Why do we say più … di instead of più … che when making comparisons?
In Italian, when comparing two nouns or pronouns you normally use più … di (e.g. più grande di Marco). Più … che is used when comparing adjectives to other adjectives or for subordinate clauses (e.g. più bello che utile). Here we’re comparing two things (the suitcase and the bag), so di is correct.
What is della in della borsa di tela?
Della is the contraction of di + la, meaning “of the.” In a comparative you say più A di B, and B often needs the definite article. So della borsa = “than the bag.”
Why is there di tela after borsa?
Di tela specifies the material (“canvas”). Italians use di + [material] to describe what something is made of (e.g. anello d’oro = “gold ring”). It’s the most common way to say “canvas bag.”
Can I say in tela instead of di tela?
Yes. Both borsa di tela and borsa in tela are correct. Di focuses on “made of,” while in works similarly to “in/with,” but di tela is more idiomatic.
Could I shorten the sentence to Questa è più robusta della borsa di tela?
Yes, if it’s clear from context that questa refers to la valigia. Dropping the noun is common, but make sure there’s no ambiguity about what questa means.
Does robusto mean the same as the English “robust”?
Essentially yes. Robusto is a cognate meaning “sturdy,” “strong,” or “durable.” In everyday speech you might also hear resistente (resistant) or solido (solid).
Could I use maggiormente instead of più for the comparative?
Technically yes: Questa valigia è maggiormente robusta…, but using più + adjective is far more natural and common in Italian.
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