Italian: Using molto, abbastanza, davvero and un po' to Modify Adjectives
Learn to express intensity in Italian with molto, abbastanza, davvero and un po', and see how they differ from frequency adverbs like sempre and spesso.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Italian, when you want to say that something is very, quite, really or a bit of a certain quality, you usually put a small adverb before the adjective. The four most useful ones at elementary level are molto (very), abbastanza (quite), davvero (really) and un po' (a bit). This lesson shows you where to place them, how they behave with adjectives, and how they differ from frequency words such as sempre (always) and spesso (often).
By the end, you can…
- use molto, abbastanza, davvero and un po' before Italian adjectives.
- tell the difference between intensity adverbs and frequency adverbs in simple sentences.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Oggi fa molto freddo.
It's very cold today.
OH-jee fah MOL-toh FREHD-doh
molto goes directly before the adjective freddo. Common when talking about weather.
Questa pizza è abbastanza buona.
This pizza is quite good.
KWEH-stah PEET-tsah eh ab-bah-STAN-tsah BWAW-nah
abbastanza means 'quite' or 'fairly'. It often suggests the quality is acceptable but not excellent.
Il film è davvero interessante.
The film is really interesting.
eel FEELM eh dahv-VEH-roh een-teh-rehs-SAN-teh
davvero adds strong emphasis, like English 'really'. It can also stand alone as a reply meaning 'really?'.
La minestra è un po' salata.
The soup is a bit salty.
lah mee-NEH-strah eh oon poh sah-LAH-tah
un po' softens the adjective. It is followed directly by the adjective, with no di in this pattern.
Sono sempre stanco la mattina.
I'm always tired in the morning.
SOH-noh SEHM-preh STAHN-koh lah maht-TEE-nah
sempre is a frequency adverb, not an intensity adverb. It tells you how often, not how tired.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Place the intensity adverb immediately before the adjective: molto caldo (very hot), abbastanza facile (quite easy), davvero bello (really beautiful), un po' caro (a bit expensive). The adjective still agrees with the noun in gender and number: la casa è molto bella, i libri sono molto belli. With un po', keep the phrase unchanged: è un po' strano, sono un po' stanca.
When to use it
Use molto for strong intensity, abbastanza for a moderate or acceptable level, davvero for emphasis or personal reaction, and un po' for a small degree. Compare: Il caffè è molto caldo (very hot), è abbastanza caldo (quite hot, acceptable), è davvero caldo (really hot, emphasis), è un po' caldo (a bit hot). Frequency adverbs answer 'how often?': vado sempre in palestra, mangio spesso pasta. Intensity adverbs answer 'how much?'.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ciao! Come stai oggi?
Hi! How are you today?CHAH-oh KOH-meh STAH-ee OH-jeeNon c'è male, ma sono un po' stanca.
Not bad, but I'm a bit tired.nohn cheh MAH-leh mah SOH-noh oon poh STAHN-kahAnch'io. Oggi fa abbastanza freddo, no?
Me too. It's quite cold today, isn't it?ahn-KEE-oh OH-jee fah ab-bah-STAN-tsah FREHD-doh nohSì, e il vento è davvero forte.
Yes, and the wind is really strong.see eh eel VEHN-toh eh dahv-VEH-roh FOR-tehA little context goes a long way
In everyday Italian, molto and un po' are extremely common in speech. Davvero is frequent in conversation to show a personal reaction, while abbastanza can sound slightly reserved or politely non-committal. In formal writing, molto is standard; un po' is more typical of informal spoken Italian. Regional speech may vary in rhythm and pronunciation, but these standard forms are understood everywhere.
One thing to watch for
Using a frequency adverb to express intensity, as in *Sono spesso stanco* when you mean 'I'm very tired'.
Try this instead: Use molto for intensity: Sono molto stanco. Spesso means 'often' and answers how frequently something happens, as in Vado spesso al cinema.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Translate: 'The coffee is very hot.'
Show a sample answer
Il caffè è molto caldo.
molto comes directly before the adjective caldo. You could also say Il caffè è davvero caldo if you want stronger emphasis.
2Which word means 'a bit' and softens an adjective?
Show a sample answer
un po'
un po' is placed before the adjective, as in È un po' tardi. It does not change for gender or number in this pattern.
3Correct this sentence: *Vado molto in palestra* if you mean 'I go to the gym often'.
Show a sample answer
Vado spesso in palestra.
For frequency, use spesso or sempre. Molto before a verb usually means 'a lot', but the natural way to express 'often' here is spesso.
Put molto, abbastanza, davvero or un po' right before the adjective to show intensity; use sempre and spesso for frequency.
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