Learn Italian: Questo quadro è bellissimo, un vero capolavoro! - This painting is very beautiful, a true masterpiece!

Bellissimo uses the absolute superlative suffix -issimo. While molto bello means very beautiful, adding -issimo makes the adjective even stronger, meaning absolutely or extremely beautiful. You form it by dropping the final vowel of the adjective and attaching the suffix.

Does the ending of bellissimo change depending on what I am describing?

Yes! Adjectives with the -issimo suffix still need to match the noun in gender and number. Since quadro is a masculine singular noun, we use bellissimo. If we were talking about a feminine noun like scultura (sculpture), it would be bellissima.

Why does the adjective vero come before the noun in vero capolavoro?

Normally, Italian adjectives go after the noun. However, placing adjectives like vero (true or real) before the noun gives them a more emotional or figurative meaning. Here, it emphasizes the speaker's strong feeling that this is a genuine masterpiece.

How is the word capolavoro formed?

Capolavoro is a compound word made of two distinct words: capo (head, boss, or chief) and lavoro (work). Put them together, and it literally means the chief work, which is the perfect way to say masterpiece!