così tanto
/koˈzi ˈtan.to/word by word
In Italian, "that much" is said as così tanto.
The phrase così tanto is used to refer to a specific large amount or degree of something. It functions similarly to the English "that much" in many contexts, expressing the degree of an action or a quality.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of così, which means "so" or "thus" and tanto, which means "much" or "so much".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Sicilian dialect, assaje is an alternative used to express "that much".
How does it change in a sentence?
In Italian, così tanto is used to express the degree of an action or quality.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /koˈzi ˈtan.to/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- While così means 'so' in this phrase, it can also be used as a standalone answer to mean 'so-so' or 'mediocre'.
- The word così evolved from the Vulgar Latin phrase eccum sīc, which essentially means 'look at it this way'.
- The phrase is built using così, which literally translates to 'thus', making the full expression feel like saying 'thus much' in a very formal, old-fashioned English style.
Examples in context
- Io so così tanto.I know that much.This sentence illustrates using così tanto to express the extent of knowledge.Tatoeba #6707024 by Guybrush88, translation #2376114 by CK
- La odi così tanto?Do you hate her that much?This sentence shows how to use così tanto when asking about the degree of hatred toward a female person.Tatoeba #5982634 by Guybrush88, translation #3915635 by CH
- Lo odi così tanto?Do you hate him that much?This sentence shows how to use così tanto when asking about the degree of hatred toward a male person.Tatoeba #6276610 by Guybrush88, translation #3915634 by CH
- 87 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Lorenzo are talking about a very expensive dinner.
- SofiaIl conto è costato così tanto!The bill cost that much!
- LorenzoSì, non pensavo fosse così caro.Yes, I didn't think it was that expensive.
- SofiaNon possiamo spendere così tanto spesso.We cannot spend that much often.
- LorenzoHai ragione, Sofia. La prossima volta scegliamo altro.You are right, Sofia. Next time we will choose something else.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (così, tanto) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries così, tanto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
