Learn Italian: Neppure il cuoco mangia questo cibo. - Not even the cook eats this food.

Neppure il cuoco mangia questo cibo.

Not even the cook eats this food.

Breakdown of Neppure il cuoco mangia questo cibo.

Questions & Answers about Neppure il cuoco mangia questo cibo.

Why is there no non in this sentence? I thought negative sentences always needed it.

When negative words like neppure, neanche, or nemmeno (which all mean "not even") are placed before the verb, you do not use non. If you put the negative word after the verb, you must use non before the verb to make a double negative. For example: Il cuoco non mangia neppure questo cibo.

Could I use neanche or nemmeno instead of neppure here?

Absolutely. Neanche, nemmeno, and neppure are virtually identical in meaning and can be used interchangeably. Neppure is sometimes considered slightly more emphatic or formal, but in everyday speech, you can pick whichever one you prefer.

Quick refresher: why is it questo cibo and how does questo change?

Questo (this) acts as a demonstrative adjective here, meaning it sits next to a noun to point it out. It must match the gender and number of that noun. Since cibo (food) is masculine singular, it is questo cibo. If it were a feminine noun, it would be questa, and in the plural, it becomes questi or queste.

I know cucinare is the verb "to cook." Are cuoco and related?