| 7.9.3 Molto / molta / molti / molte |
Molto can be used as an indefinite pronoun (only in plural), then it has the meaning of many or as an adjective (in singular), in this case the meaning is a lot of. Molto matches in gender and number with the noun it refers to.
| summary | |||
| singular | plural | 
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|
| maskuline | molto | molti | |
| feminine | molta | molte |
| Examples | |
| adjective | |
| A lot of meal is needed to bake a cake. |
|
| C'é bisogno di molta farina per fare una torta. | |
| The industrie needs a lot of energie. |
|
| L' industria ha bisogno di molta energia. | |
| A lot of coffee is not good for the health. |
|
| Molto caffè non è buono per la salute. | |
| substantive | |
| Many can' t read. * |
|
| Molti non sanno leggere. | |
| I have seen many of them, but no one I liked. |
|
| Ne ho viste molte, ma nessuna mi ha piaciuta. | |
| substantive | |
| He knows a lot, but he doesn' t speak a lot. |
|
| Sa molto, ma parla poco. | |
| Many are just confused. |
|
| Molti sono soltanto confusi. | |
| Many (women) are ill. |
|
| Molte sono malate. | |
* We are going to look at the modal verbs in detail later. In all romance languages, and so in Italian as well, there is a distinction between the theoretic ability to do something, because it has been learned and the ability to do something in a concrete moment. If someone is theoretically able to do something because he has learned it, sapere / to know is used.
Sa scrivere.
He can write.
But if he has a broken arm the situation is different.
Sa scrivere, ma di momento no può perchè si è fratturato il braccio.
He can write, but right no he can' t write, because he has a broken arm.
Sapere never can be used for an action which requires no training. This sentence is absurd.
| wrong: Lui sa dormire. |
Thise sentence is wrong because it suggests that some training is needed to be able to sleep. What really can happen is that someone can' t sleep under certain conditions.
| example | |
| With that noise nobody can sleep. | |
| Con questo chiasso nessuno può dormire. |
|
This sentence is correct as well.
| example | |
| He can read, but right now he is not able to do it, because he has forgotten his classes. | |
| Lui sa leggere, ma al momento non può leggere la tua lettera, perche ha dimenitcato i suoi occhiali. |
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In some rare cases molto can be used with a noun in singular. But that only happens if the singular is actually a plural, refers to several elements of something.
| example | |
| There are a lot of people in the street. | |
| C' è molta gente nelle strade. |
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Molto can be an adverb as well than the meaning is very.
| Examples | |
| That' s very good. | |
| È molto buono. |
|
| He talks a lot, if not too much. | |
| Parla molto, per non dire troppo. |
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