Which one should you use?
When using the phrase to express "not much" in negative sentences, molto is typically paired with non, such as in Non mangio molto (I don't eat much).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In southern Italy, the colloquial expression un mare is often used to mean "a lot".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes form depending on its grammatical function. When used as an adverb meaning "a lot" or "to a great extent", it is invariable as molto. However, when used as an adjective meaning "much" or "many", it must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies, resulting in the forms molta, molto, molti or molte.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and the stress is on the first syllable: /ˈmol.to/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When molto functions as an adjective modifying a plural noun, ensure you change the ending to molti or molte to match the noun.
Did you know?
- The historical root of molto comes from a Latin word meaning 'crumbled', suggesting an ancient connection between large amounts and something broken into many pieces.
- In music, the term molto is used globally as a performance direction to indicate that a passage should be played 'very much' in a certain style, such as molto allegro.
- In Italian, saying non è molto can be a polite, understated way of saying something is actually quite small or insufficient.
Examples in context
- Non ne so molto.I don't know much about it.This sentence shows how to use molto to say one does not know much about a specific topic.Tatoeba #3275721 by Guybrush88, translation #2544440 by CK
- Sa molto di noi?Do you know much about us?This sentence demonstrates asking if someone knows a lot about a group of people.Tatoeba #6094818 by Guybrush88, translation #3920794 by CH
- Ho molto da fare.I have much to do.This sentence illustrates using molto to express having a large amount of work or tasks to complete.Tatoeba #1332707 by Guybrush88, translation #321964 by rul
- Mi piace moltoI like it a lot
- Ci sono molti problemiThere are many problems
- Ho tanto lavoro da fareI have so much work to do
- È abbastanza interessanteIt's quite interesting
- Parecchie persone sono arrivateQuite a few people have arrived
- Ho parecchio tempo liberoI have a lot of free time
- Ho tanto sonnoI'm very sleepy
- È tanto divertenteIt's so much fun
- C'è un sacco di genteThere are a ton of people
- È assai intelligenteHe/she is very smart
- Ho assai da fareI have a lot to do
- C'è un mare di genteThere are a lot of people
- 1553 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Francesco are discussing their work schedules.
- ChiaraHai molto lavoro questa settimana?Do you have much work this week?
- FrancescoSì, ho molto da finire oggi.Yes, I have much to finish today.
- ChiaraPosso aiutarti con qualcosa?Can I help you with something?
- FrancescoGrazie, Chiara, sei molto gentile.Thanks, Chiara, you are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “much” translations and entries molto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries molto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
