MOLTO in Italian: When to use MOLTO, MOLTI, MOLTA, MOLTE

Molto is one of those words that pop up everywhere in Italian. It’s incredibly useful for emphasizing something or discussing things in great quantities. You might have come across expressions like Molto bello! (Very beautiful!), Molta fame! (Very hungry!), Molti soldi! (A lot of money!). But have you noticed that there are times when molto changes its ending? Sometimes it’s molto, other times it’s molta, molti, or molte!

In this guide, I’ll explain all the uses of molto in Italian, and when and how it changes, with plenty of real-world examples for you to practice with. From negotiating the itinerary with your guide in Rome (Vogliamo vedere molte cose! – We want to see many things!) to giving a compliment to a chef in Bologna (Tutto molto buono! – Everything is really good!), this will take you a step closer to becoming fluent for your travels. To see how much you’ve learned, don’t forget to take the free quiz at the end of this lesson!

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Table to Contents

Here’s what we’ll cover in this guide. Click on any title to jump to each section.

When does MOLTO remain invariable in Italian?
MOLTO/MOLTI/MOLTA/MOLTE: Why does MOLTO sometimes change to?
The superlative of MOLTO in Italian
Some synonyms for MOLTO in Italian
TAKE THE QUIZ

When does MOLTO remain invariable in Italian?

In Italian, molto is commonly used as an adverb, in which case it remains invariable (meaning it doesn’t change), always ending in “-o.” In this role, it can convey three distinct meanings:

Molto = very

With this meaning, molto intensifies the adjective or the other adverb that comes after it:

Questa pizza è molto buona – This pizza is very good
Luigi parla molto velocemente, a volte non lo capisco – Luigi speaks very quickly; sometimes I don’t understand him

Molto = much

Here, molto is like a measuring stick for how much someone does something. It can appear before or after the verb expressing the action it refers to:

Mia sorella è timida, non parla molto – My sister is shy, she doesn’t talk much
Non ci piace molto camminare – We don’t like walking much

Molto = a lot

Here, molto intensifies the verb and always comes after it:

Eleonora è bellissima, mi piace molto – Eleonora is beautiful, I like her a lot
È vero che gli italiano gesticolano molto? – Is it true that Italians gesticulate a lot?

MOLTO/MOLTI/MOLTA/MOLTE: Why does MOLTO sometimes change?

Molto can also act as an adjective, which means it has to agree with the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the noun it describes. Let’s see some examples:

A: C’era molta gente alla presentazione del libro? – Were there a lot of people at the book presentation?
B: Sì, ma soprattutto molti curiosi che non hanno acquistato niente – Yes, but mainly many onlookers who didn’t buy anything.
A: Che peccato, allora sono rimaste molte copie invendute! – What a shame, I guess many copies remained unsold then!

In the initial question, molto becomes molta because it refers to gente (people) which is feminine singular. In the response, it changes to molti to agree with curiosi (onlookers), a masculine plural noun. Then, in the final remark, it becomes molte to match copie (copies), which is feminine plural.

Here are 4 things to remember:

1. When molto precedes più (more) and meno (less) followed by a noun, it must agree with that noun:

Abbiamo raccolto molte più firme del previsto – We collected many more signatures than expected
Sono venuti molti meno ragazzi – Way fewer guys came

2. When molto is used with feelings or needs that are expressed with the verb avere (to have) plus a noun in Italian, it acts like an adjective and not like an adverb as it does in English. As such, it must change its ending:

Ho molta sete – I am very thirsty (literally, “I have much thirst”)
Hanno molto sonno – They are very sleepy (literally, “They have much sleepiness”)

3. When the noun is implied and left off, molto becomes an indefinite pronoun, similar to “much” in English:

Non ho molto da fare oggi – I don’t have much to do today
Molto è stato detto, ma nessuno fa nulla – Much has been said, but no one does anything

4. You’ll often find molto used in the expression in molti (many). This refers to people in general, without specifying the noun, similar to “many” in English:

Sono in molti ad essere preoccupati per la chiusura della fabbrica – Many are worried about the factory closure
Siamo in molti a volere una biblioteca in paese – Many of us want a library in the town

The superlative of MOLTO in Italian

In Italian, when you want to make molto more powerful, you can add the suffix -issimo/-issima/-issimi/-issime to it. Here’s how to use them:

1. When molto is used as an adverb, it becomes moltissimo to express the highest degree of intensity::

Matteo ha corso moltissimo per arrivare in tempo – Matteo ran a lot to arrive on time
Abbiamo studiato moltissimo, facciamo una pausa! – We studied a lot, let’s take a break!

Attenzione! The adverb moltissimo can only be used with verbs and should be placed after them. For example, to say “This pizza is really very good,” you can’t use moltissimo with the adjective buona (good). Instead, you should use molto with the adverb davvero (really) as in Questa pizza è davvero molto buona, or the superlative form of the adjective, Questa pizza è buonissima.

2. When molto acts as an adjective, the suffix changes based on the gender and number of the noun it refers to:

Oggi c’è moltissima afa – Today it’s very hot and humid
Ci sono ancora moltissimi biglietti per la mostra – There are still many tickets available for the exhibition

Some synonyms for MOLTO in Italian

Instead of always saying molto in Italian, you can opt for alternative words that serve the same purpose. These words are similar in meaning but not entirely interchangeable, because they carry slightly different nuances that make them more appropriate in certain contexts, making your Italian sound way more natural and lively.

Tanto – Use this when you want to show you really mean “a lot” or “many” in a strong way:

Ho mangiato tanto da tua madre – I ate so much at your mother’s
Ti ho detto tante volte di lasciar perdere, ma tu non mi ascolti mai! – I’ve told you many times to let it go, but you never listen!

Parecchio – This one suggests a significant amount, but not as much as molto or tanto:

Si sono presentate parecchie persone al colloquio – Many people showed up for the interview
Devo ammettere che ieri mi sono divertito parecchio – I must admit I had a lot of fun yesterday

Un sacco (lit. a sack) – This is casual and emphasizes a large amount or degree:

It often accompanies the verb piacere (to like), as in Mi piace un sacco (I like him a lot) or precedes adjectives like un sacco bello (really nice). Interestingly, this last example is also the title of a famous movie starring Carlo Verdone!)
It’s also often used in an uncountable manner in the expression un sacco di (a lot of), as in Non ridevo così da un sacco di tempo (I haven’t laughed this much in a long time)

Un casino (lit. a chaos)- This one is super informal and rather strong, similar to “a ton of” in English:

Mi sei mancata un casino – I’ve missed you a ton
Ho letto un casino di libri quest’estate – I read a ton of books this summer

Un mucchio di (lit. a pile of) – Use this to talk about a heap or large amount of something:

Gli deve un mucchio di soldi – He owes him a lot of money
Ho ancora un mucchio di vestiti da stirare – I still have a pile of clothes to iron

Una marea di (lit. a tide of) – This is a great expression for describing an overwhelming quantity:

C’è una marea di roba da mangiare in frigo – There’s a lot of food in the fridge
Il loro ultimo posto ha ricevuto una marea di commenti negativi – Their latest post received a lot of negative comments

Una barca di / Una barcata di (lit. a boat of / a big boat of) – These are informal ways to say “a boatload” of something. They are mostly used when discussing money:

Ho speso una barcata di soldi per quel viaggio – I spent a boatload of money on that trip
Gli hanno dato una barca di soldi per quel libro – They gave him a boatload of money for that book

Un botto (lit. a bang) – This synonym of molto in Italian denotes a significant amount in a very informal tone, often with a sense of surprise or emphasis:

Mi dispiace un botto per Elena, non se lo meritava – I’m really sorry for Elena, she didn’t deserve it
Ho dovuto pagare un botto di luce e gas questo mese – I had to pay a hell of a lot for electricity and gas this month

**Un fottio (lit. fckload/shtload) –** This is slang and a bit vulgar, used to emphasize an extreme amount, similar to “sh*tload” in English:

Ho un fottio di roba da studiare per domani – I have a sh*tload of stuff to study for tomorrow
C’è un fottio di gente, andiamo via – There’s a f*ckload of people, let’s leave

How well do you know how to use MOLTO in Italian? TAKE THIS QUIZ!

Now, your turn! Let’s put your knowledge to the test by filling in the blanks with the correct form of molto:

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How to use MOLTO in Italian - FREE Cheat-Sheet & QUIZ

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