Breakdown of Leggere i tarocchi è più divertente che utile, lo ammetto.
essere
to be
divertente
fun
leggere
to read
più
more / anymore (with 'non')
lo
him/it (direct object)
utile
useful
che
than (in comparisons)
ammettere
to admit
il tarocco
tarot card
Questions & Answers about Leggere i tarocchi è più divertente che utile, lo ammetto.
What exactly is lo replacing in the phrase lo ammetto?
In this sentence, lo acts as a pro-clausal pronoun. Instead of replacing a standard masculine noun, it stands in for the entire preceding idea: leggere i tarocchi è più divertente che utile. This is the standard way to say "I admit it" or "I admit that" in Italian when referring back to a full statement.
Why does the comparison use che in più divertente che utile instead of di?
You must use che when comparing two adjectives, verbs, or adverbs that apply to the exact same subject. Since we are comparing the qualities divertente (fun) and utile (useful) of a single activity (reading tarot cards), che is the correct choice. You would use di to compare two different subjects, like saying Marco is taller than Luca.
The English translation says "Reading", so why does the Italian sentence start with the infinitive Leggere instead of the gerund Leggendo?
When an action acts as the subject of a sentence—like "reading" does here—Italian requires the infinitive form (leggere). The Italian gerund (leggendo) translates closer to "while reading" or "by reading" and cannot be used as the subject noun of a sentence.
Can I use this pro-clausal lo with other verbs besides ammettere?
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