Word
Preferiamo dimetterci piuttosto che sottoscrivere una controproposta inattuabile.
Meaning
We prefer to resign rather than endorse an unfeasible counterproposal.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Preferiamo dimetterci piuttosto che sottoscrivere una controproposta inattuabile.
una
a / an (feminine)
preferire
to prefer
che
than (in comparisons)
piuttosto
rather (piuttosto che = rather than)
Questions & Answers about Preferiamo dimetterci piuttosto che sottoscrivere una controproposta inattuabile.
How is piuttosto che used here, and what common colloquial usage should I be careful with?
In this sentence, piuttosto che is used grammatically correctly to mean "rather than," expressing a direct preference between two actions (dimetterci vs. sottoscrivere). At a B2 level, it's very useful to know that many Italians casually misuse piuttosto che to mean "or" (as a synonym for oppure), but in strict standard Italian, it should only be used to indicate preference or exclusion.
Why is ci attached to the end of dimetterci?
Does sottoscrivere just mean "to sign"?
Literally, yes—it means "to write under" (sotto + scrivere) and is frequently used for signing documents or subscribing to services. However, in political, business, or formal contexts like this one, it takes on the figurative meaning of "to endorse," "to back," or "to formally agree to" a plan or proposal.
How is the adjective inattuabile formed?