Question 1

Why is "poorer" translated as two words, più povero?

Accepted Answer

In English, we often add "-er" to the end of a short adjective (like poor becoming poorer). Italian doesn't do this! To make a comparison, you always use più (more) or meno (less) plus the adjective. So, you literally say "more poor" (più povero).

Question 2

Doesn't di usually mean "of"? Why is it used here for "than"?

Accepted Answer

You are right, di is most commonly the preposition "of" or "from". However, in Italian comparisons, di is the standard word for "than" when you are comparing two nouns or pronouns (like "this country" and "that one").

Question 3

How does quello mean "that one"? Where is the word for "one"?

Accepted Answer

Italian doesn't use a word for "one" in these situations. Quello is a pronoun that stands on its own to mean "that" or "that one". Since paese (country) is a masculine singular noun, we use the masculine singular form quello to avoid repeating the word paese.

Question 4

I thought paese meant "town" or "village"?

Accepted Answer

It can mean both! Paese is frequently used to mean a small town or village, but it is also the standard word for a "country" or "nation". You just have to figure out which meaning makes sense from the context of the conversation.

Questo paese è più povero di quello.

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