Breakdown of Il tappeto del soggiorno è tanto morbido quanto quello della camera da letto.
essere
to be
di
of
il soggiorno
the living room
morbido
soft
quello
the one
il tappeto
the carpet
la camera da letto
the bedroom
tanto
as
quanto
as
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Questions & Answers about Il tappeto del soggiorno è tanto morbido quanto quello della camera da letto.
What does tanto … quanto mean and why is it used here?
Tanto … quanto expresses an equality comparison, similar to as … as in English. In the sentence Il tappeto del soggiorno è tanto morbido quanto quello della camera da letto, it literally means “the living‐room rug is as soft as the one in the bedroom.”
Could I use così … come instead of tanto … quanto, and is there any difference?
Yes. Così … come also means “as … as.” You could say Il tappeto è così morbido come quello della camera da letto with exactly the same meaning. Tanto … quanto is slightly more formal or common in writing, but both are interchangeable.
Why is it del soggiorno and not just di soggiorno?
In Italian the preposition di combines with the definite article il to form del (di + il = del). Since soggiorno is masculine singular, we need il, so di il soggiorno becomes del soggiorno.
Why is it della camera da letto and what role does da play in camera da letto?
Della is di + la because camera is feminine singular (di + la camera → della camera). The phrase camera da letto literally means “room for sleeping,” where da expresses purpose (“for”). Hence camera da letto = “bedroom.”
What does quello refer to and why is it used here?
Quello is a demonstrative pronoun replacing il tappeto in camera da letto, so you avoid repeating the noun. It means “the one” (masculine singular) and agrees in gender and number with tappeto.
Why is the adjective morbido placed after the verb è instead of before the noun?
In Italian predicative adjectives (those linked by essere) follow the verb. You say Il tappeto … è morbido, not è morbido tappeto. When describing the subject via essere, the adjective comes after è.
Could we say Il tappeto del soggiorno è più morbido del tappeto della camera da letto instead?
Yes. That uses a relative comparative più … di (“more … than”). It would mean “The living‐room rug is softer than the bedroom rug,” indicating a difference in softness rather than equality.
What’s the difference between soggiorno and salotto?
Both can translate as “living room.” Soggiorno is the general living area (often combined with dining), while salotto is typically the formal sitting room.
How does quello change if we talk about multiple rugs or if the noun were feminine?
Quello changes to agree in gender and number:
- Masculine plural: quei (before consonant) or quegli (before vowels, z, s+consonant)
- Feminine singular: quella
- Feminine plural: quelle
E.g., i tappeti → quei tappeti, le sedie → quelle sedie.