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Il miele è talmente appiccicoso che ho rovinato irrimediabilmente il tappeto.

Il miele è talmente appiccicoso che ho rovinato irrimediabilmente il tappeto.
The honey is so sticky that I irreparably ruined the rug.
From Lesson 357:Extreme results (così... che, talmente... che)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Il miele è talmente appiccicoso che ho rovinato irrimediabilmente il tappeto.

Why is talmente used here instead of così, and do they mean the same thing?
They mean exactly the same thing in this context! When modifying an adjective like appiccicoso, you can use either talmente ... che or così ... che to express "so sticky that". Talmente can sometimes sound just slightly more emphatic, but they are fully interchangeable here.
I thought the word che often triggers the subjunctive. Why is ho rovinato in the indicative mood?
While many structures with che do trigger the subjunctive, consecutive clauses of result (like talmente ... che) focus on a real, factual outcome. Because ruining the rug actually happened, you use the normal indicative mood. You would generally only use the subjunctive for this structure if the main clause were negative or a question, which would cast doubt on the result.
Could I put the long adverb irrimediabilmente at the very end of the sentence?
Yes, you could technically say ho rovinato il tappeto irrimediabilmente, but it is less common. Placing adverbs of manner (words ending in -mente) directly after the past participle (rovinato) and before the direct object (il tappeto) is the most natural and flowing word order in Italian.
Is tappeto a false friend? It looks a lot like "tapestry".
Yes, it is a classic false friend! Tappeto means "rug" or "carpet" (or even "mat", like a yoga mat). If you actually want to talk about a woven tapestry hanging on a wall, the Italian word is arazzo.
What is the root of the adjective appiccicoso?
It comes from the verb appiccicare, which means "to stick" or "to glue". By adding the suffix -oso (which behaves like the English "-y" or "-ous"), the verb turns into the descriptive adjective appiccicoso (sticky).

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