Breakdown of Questo bel vulcano ha il diametro maggiore.
bello
beautiful
questo
this (masculine)
avere
to have
il vulcano
volcano
il diametro
diameter
maggiore
greater (older, major)
Questions & Answers about Questo bel vulcano ha il diametro maggiore.
Wait, doesn't maggiore mean 'greater'? Why is it translated as 'greatest' here?
In Italian, you form the relative superlative (meaning 'the greatest' or 'the biggest' in a specific group) by combining a definite article like il or la with the comparative form. Because we have il diametro maggiore, it translates to 'the greatest diameter'. If it were just un diametro maggiore, it would mean 'a greater diameter'.
Could I say il diametro massimo instead?
They mean slightly different things. Maggiore is used here as a relative superlative, meaning it is the widest diameter compared to the other volcanoes. Massimo is an absolute superlative meaning 'maximum'. Saying il diametro massimo would sound more like a scientific limit (the maximum possible diameter) rather than simply being the biggest one in a specific group.
Why is it bel vulcano and not bello vulcano?
Is maggiore always used for physical size like a volcano's diameter?
Not always! While maggiore is the irregular comparative for grande (big/large), it is also heavily used to talk about age. For example, il fratello maggiore translates to 'the older brother' or 'the oldest brother'.
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