Question 1

Why does the sentence use più forte instead of a single word for "stronger"?

Accepted Answer

In Italian, there are no special "-er" endings for adjectives like we have in English (strong -> stronger). Instead, you always use più (more) before the adjective. So, "stronger" is literally formed by saying più forte (more strong).

Question 2

Does di mean "than" here?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You probably already know di as "of", but when making basic comparisons with più (more) or meno (less), di is used to mean "than". So, più forte di lui means "stronger than him".

Question 3

Is lui the normal word for "he" or "him"?

Accepted Answer

Yes, lui usually means "he", but after di in a comparison, it translates to "him". For most people, you just use the standard pronoun (lui, lei, noi, loro). However, if you want to say "than me" or "than you", you must switch to the special stressed pronouns me and te (for example, più forte di me).

Question 4

Why is essere left in its dictionary (infinitive) form?

Accepted Answer

Because it follows devi (you must). Dovere is a modal or "helper" verb. In Italian, just like in English, when an action directly follows a modal verb, that second verb stays in its infinitive form: Devi essere (You must be).

Devi essere più forte di lui.

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