Learn Italian: È un'ottima idea. - It is an excellent idea.

È un'ottima idea.

It is an excellent idea.

Breakdown of È un'ottima idea.

Questions & Answers about È un'ottima idea.

Where does the word ottima come from?

Ottima is the feminine form of ottimo, which is the irregular absolute superlative of buono (good). Instead of combining a word for 'very' with 'good', it means 'excellent' all on its own.

Can I use the regular '-issimo' ending and say una buonissima idea instead?

Absolutely! Buonissima and ottima mean exactly the same thing. Ottimo is simply a special, irregular word for 'excellent' that Italians use all the time, but you will hear both forms used interchangeably.

Why is there an apostrophe in un'ottima?

The noun idea is feminine, so it requires the feminine article una. Because the next word (ottima) starts with a vowel, una drops its 'a' and takes an apostrophe to make it smoother to say. Remember that masculine words do not use an apostrophe here, such as in un ottimo lavoro (an excellent job).

Why does ottima come before the noun idea?

While most Italian adjectives go after the noun, very common adjectives describing subjective qualities—like buono (good), cattivo (bad), and their extreme forms like ottimo—frequently come before the noun to add emphasis and sound more natural.