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L'accento è più marcato di quanto pensassi.

L'accento è più marcato di quanto pensassi.
The accent is stronger than I thought.
From Lesson 284:Clause-level comparisons (di quanto, di quello che)·Italian

Questions & Answers about L'accento è più marcato di quanto pensassi.

Why is 'than' translated as di quanto here instead of just di or che?
When you are comparing something to a whole clause (a phrase with its own conjugated verb, like "I thought"), you must use di quanto or di quello che. You only use di or che when comparing two nouns, pronouns, or adjectives directly.
Why is the verb pensassi in the subjunctive mood?
Phrases that compare reality to a thought or expectation using di quanto automatically require the subjunctive mood for the following verb. It highlights that the thought or expectation was subjective.
The main verb (è) is in the present tense. Why is pensassi in the imperfect (past) subjunctive rather than the present?
Even though the main sentence is present tense ("The accent is..."), your expectation existed in the past. You are comparing how the accent is right now to how you thought it would be before you heard it.
Could I say più forte instead of più marcato to mean a 'strong' accent?
Yes, più forte is grammatically correct and easily understood. However, marcato (which literally means "marked" or "pronounced") is a very natural and common adjective in Italian to describe a distinct or heavy accent.

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