Learn Italian: Tutto ciò è assurdo e sorprendente. - All that is absurd and surprising.

Tutto ciò è assurdo e sorprendente.

All that is absurd and surprising.

Breakdown of Tutto ciò è assurdo e sorprendente.

that / this (abstract concepts)

Questions & Answers about Tutto ciò è assurdo e sorprendente.

Why use ciò here instead of quello?

Ciò is an invariable pronoun that means "this" or "that" when referring to an abstract idea, a situation, or a previous statement, rather than a physical object. You could also use quello here, but ciò is very common for abstract concepts and sounds a bit more refined.

What is the difference between saying Tutto è assurdo and Tutto ciò è assurdo?

Tutto alone means "everything" in a broad sense ("Everything is absurd"). Adding ciò makes it "all this" or "all that," pointing directly to a specific situation or set of facts you were just discussing.

Could ciò be used if we were talking about physical things, like a pile of broken machines?

No, ciò is strictly for abstract ideas or concepts. If you were pointing to physical objects, you would use a regular demonstrative pronoun like questo or quello (for example, Tutto questo è assurdo).

Why does assurdo end in -o but sorprendente ends in -e, since they both describe ciò?