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Il vocabolario è molto più ricco di quanto dicono.

Il vocabolario è molto più ricco di quanto dicono.
The vocabulary is much richer than they say.
From Lesson 281:Clause-level comparisons (di quanto, di quello che)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Il vocabolario è molto più ricco di quanto dicono.

Why do we use di quanto here instead of just di or che for "than"?
When you are comparing an adjective (ricco) to a full clause with a conjugated verb (dicono), you can't just use di or che. You have to use di quanto (literally "than how much") or di quello che ("than that which").
Shouldn't the verb after di quanto be in the subjunctive mood (dicano)?
In formal Italian, yes! Comparisons with di quanto normally trigger the subjunctive because they often involve assumptions or thoughts (like "than I thought"). However, in everyday spoken Italian, the indicative (dicono) is frequently used when referring to an established fact—in this case, people are definitively saying it.
Can vocabolario also mean a physical dictionary?
Yes! While here it means the overall vocabulary of a language or person, il vocabolario is also commonly used interchangeably with il dizionario to refer to a physical dictionary book.
How does molto più work here?
Molto (much) acts as an invariable adverb here, strengthening the comparative più ricco (richer). You simply place it directly before più to say "much more", and its ending never changes, regardless of the noun's gender or number.

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