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Italian Word of The Day Supported by: Fluente logo For Members

Italian word of the day: 'Abbastanza'

Clare Speak
Clare Speak - [email protected]
Italian word of the day: 'Abbastanza'
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Do you understand this word well enough?

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Abbastanza is a word you'll hear a lot in Italian conversation. In its simplest form, it means ‘enough’ or ‘sufficiently’

- Ho mangiato abbastanza

- I've had enough to eat

It can also be used as a quantifer, meaning quite, rather, fairly or somewhat, and making it a synonym of piuttosto or alquanto.

- È abbastanza antipatico.

- He's pretty annoying.

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- Sto abbastanza bene.

- I’m quite well.

Just be careful not to get abbastanza mixed up with a similar word: basta, which also means ‘enough’ but is used differently – usually by frustrated parents.

- Basta, non ce la faccio più!

- Enough, I can’t stand it anymore!

But the most common ways you’ll hear Italians using abbastanza don’t translate into English as easily.

It’s used when you want to be ambiguous or aren’t feeling very enthusiastic.

- La torta è buona?

- Si, abbastanza

- Is the cake good?

- Yes, not bad

- Come va a scuola?

- Abbastanza bene

- How's school?

- Not bad

Abbastanza can also be a form of understatement, which British readers in particular may be surprised to find that Italians do sometimes use.

- Questa casa è abbastanza grande

- This house is big enough (meaning that the house is absolutely enormous.)

- Ci vuole pazienza per imparare l’italiano? 

- Si, abbastanza.

- Do we need to be patient to learn Italian?

- Yes, enough (meaning that it's going to take the patience of Italy's many saints, combined).

Do you have an Italian word you'd like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.

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