il più bello
/il ˈpju ˈbɛl.lo/word by word
In Italian, 'most beautiful' is expressed as il più bello.
This phrase is used to describe a person or thing that has the highest degree of beauty compared to others.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the superlative degree in Italian, you must place a definite article (il, la, i, le) before the word più. The phrase must also agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use il più bello for masculine singular, la più bella for feminine singular, i più belli for masculine plural and le più belle for feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /il ˈpju ˈbɛl.lo/. It has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian, bello can be used as an intensifier to mean 'great' or 'significant' even if the object is not physically attractive.
- The word più comes from an ancient root meaning 'many' rather than 'more'.
- In many Italian regions, you might hear a double 'p' sound at the start of più, a feature known as autogemination.
Examples in context
- Questo fiore è il più bello.This flower is the most beautiful.This sentence shows how to use il più bello to describe a flower.Tatoeba #11223644 by Guybrush88, translation #8859106 by sundown
- Questo è il più bello struzzo che io abbia mai visto.This is the most beautiful ostrich I've ever seen.This sentence demonstrates using il più bello to describe an ostrich.Tatoeba #706120 by Guybrush88, translation #704391 by azulhana
- Mi sembri la più bella della serata.You seem to be the most beautiful of the evening.
- Sei la più affascinante qui stasera.You are the most captivating here tonight.
- Sei la mia amica e la più bella di tutte.You are my friend and the most beautiful of them all.
- Hai un sorriso dolcissimo, sei la più carina!You have such a sweet smile, you're the cutest!
- Quando sei vestita così, sei davvero la più splendida.When you're dressed like that, you're truly the most stunning.
- Questo tramonto è il più bello della giornata.This sunset is the most beautiful of the day.
Example conversation
Martina and Francesco are visiting a park.
- MartinaGuarda questo tramonto, Francesco!Look at this sunset, Francesco!
- FrancescoÈ il più bello che io abbia mai visto.It is the most beautiful one I have ever seen.
- MartinaHai ragione, i colori sono incredibili.You are right, the colors are incredible.
- FrancescoSì, è davvero uno spettacolo.Yes, it is truly a sight.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (il, più, bello) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bello, il, più, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
