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Abbiamo la stessa identica versione del libro.

Abbiamo la stessa identica versione del libro.
We have the exact same version of the book.
From Lesson 303:Exact identity and emphasis (stesso, medesimo)·Italian

Breakdown of Abbiamo la stessa identica versione del libro.

il libro
book
avere
to have
di
of, from
stesso
same
identico
identical
la versione
version

Questions & Answers about Abbiamo la stessa identica versione del libro.

Why does stessa come before the noun versione in this sentence?
When stesso (or its feminine form stessa) is placed before the noun, it means 'the same' to show exact identity. If we placed it after the noun, as in la versione stessa, it would mean 'the version itself' to add reflexive emphasis.
Is it redundant to say stessa identica?
While technically redundant, stessa identica is a very common fixed expression in Italian. It is the direct equivalent of saying 'the exact same' in English and is used to add strong emphasis to the identity of the object.
Could I use medesima instead of stessa here?
Yes, you could say la medesima identica versione. Medesimo has the exact same meaning and placement rules as stesso when used to mean 'the same'. However, stesso is much more common in everyday conversation, while medesimo can sound slightly more formal or literary.
Why doesn't identica follow the noun versione as descriptive adjectives usually do?
Descriptive adjectives normally go after the noun in Italian, so la versione identica is standard. However, because identica is acting as part of the fixed, emphatic cluster la stessa identica, it gets pulled to the front of the noun right alongside stessa.

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