un sacco di
/un ˈsak.ko di/word by word
The Italian phrase for "lots of" is un sacco di.
un sacco di is used to express a large amount or number of something.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, un sacco di translates to "a sack of".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
un sacco di is an informal phrase and is more common in spoken language than in formal writing. For a more formal alternative, you should use molto (and its various gender and number forms molto/a/i/e).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase un sacco di remains singular even when the noun it modifies is plural.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /un ˈsak.ko di/. It has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In very informal speech, Italians might say un botto di to mean 'a huge amount', referring to a 'bang' or 'explosion'.
- The term sacco gained a dark historical association with the 'Sacco di Roma', the brutal looting of Rome in 1527.
- The word sacco comes from the Latin saccus, which originally derived from an Ancient Greek word with Semitic roots.
Examples in context
- Ho un sacco di idee.I have lots of ideas.This sentence is useful for showing how to express having many ideas.Tatoeba #4485372 by Guybrush88, translation #2359931 by CK
- C'è un sacco di cibo.There's lots of food.This sentence is useful for describing the presence of a large amount of food.Tatoeba #7905910 by Guybrush88, translation #7902311 by CK
- Era un sacco di denaro.It was lots of money.This sentence is useful for expressing that an amount of money was large.Tatoeba #5008788 by Guybrush88, translation #5008758 by CK
- Ho molte ideeI have lots of ideas
- C'è molto trafficoThere is a lot of traffic
- Ho tante cose da fareI have lots of things to do
- Sono molto occupato, ho tanto da fareI am very busy, I have lots to do
- C'è un'abbondante quantità di ciboThere is a lot of food
- Ho tante amicheI have lots of friends
- Mi piace mangiare tantoI love eating a lot
- Ha soldi a pacchiHe has lots of money
- Ho libri a pacchiI have a bunch of books
- Ho tantissime cose da fareI have a whole lot of things to do
- Abbiamo mangiato tantissimoWe ate a great deal/a whole lot
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Alessandro are talking about their weekend plans.
- MartinaHai un sacco di impegni questo fine settimana?Do you have lots of commitments this weekend?
- AlessandroSì, ho un sacco di cose da fare.Yes, I have lots of things to do.
- MartinaAllora non possiamo andare al cinema insieme.Then we can't go to the cinema together.
- AlessandroForse domenica sono libero, Alessandro.Maybe Sunday I am free, Alessandro.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (un, sacco, di) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries di, sacco, un, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
