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Learn to use Italian indefinite quantifiers such as molto, tanto, poco, and tutto to express unspecified amounts. This beginner A1 lesson explains their singular and plural forms, agreement with nouns, and practical examples to help you master quantity expressions in Italian.
  1. Molto, tanto, poco agree with the noun.
  2. We use tutto with the article: tutto il, tutti i.
Singolare (Singular)PluraleEsempi (Examples)
Molto / MoltaMolti / Molte

Ho molto pane. (I have much bread.)

Tu hai molte carte (You have many cards).

Tanto / TantaTanti / Tante

Compro tanto cibo. (I buy so much food.)

Fabio ha tante giacche. (Fabio has many jackets.)

Poco / PocaPochi / Poche

Compro poca pasta. (I buy little pasta.)

Laura ha pochi soldi. (Laura has few money.)

Tutto / TuttaTutti / Tutte

Controllo tutti i prezzi. (I check all the prices.)

Lavoro tutta la mattina. (I work all morning.)

Exercise 1: Gli indefiniti: 'molto', 'tanto', 'poco', etc...

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

molte, tutta, pochi, tante, poco, molto, tanto

1.
Questo tè è ... buono, lo ricomprerò.
(This tea is very good, I will buy it again.)
2.
Costa ..., ma è davvero buono.
(It costs a lot, but it is really good.)
3.
Abbiamo ... soldi, dobbiamo fare attenzione.
(We have little money, we must be careful.)
4.
Hai ... pane per la colazione di domani.
(You have little bread for tomorrow's breakfast.)
5.
Paghi ... con la carta?
(Do you pay a lot by card?)
6.
Sto ... la mattina al mercato.
(I spend the whole morning at the market.)
7.
Lei ha ... carte.
(She has many cards.)
8.
Abbiamo ... carte nel portafoglio oggi.
(We have many cards in the wallet today.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Ho comprato _____ mele al mercato oggi.

(I bought _____ apples at the market today.)

2. C'è _____ acqua nella bottiglia, dobbiamo comprarne ancora.

(There is _____ water in the bottle, we need to buy more.)

3. Voglio _____ pane per la cena.

(I want _____ bread for dinner.)

4. Ho pagato _____ i prezzi che ho visto nel negozio.

(I paid _____ the prices that I saw in the store.)

5. Abbiamo _____ soldi per fare la spesa oggi.

(We have _____ money to do the shopping today.)

6. Lavoro _____ la mattina prima di andare a comprare il caffè.

(I work _____ the morning before going to buy coffee.)

Understanding Indefinite Quantifiers in Italian: molto, tanto, poco, and more

This lesson introduces key Italian indefinite quantifiers that express unspecified amounts or quantities. You'll learn how to use molto (much/many), tanto (so much/so many), poco (few/little), and tutto (all/every) correctly in both singular and plural forms. These adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify, a fundamental aspect different from English.

Forms and Usage

The basic forms change depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or plural. For example, for "molto," the masculine singular is molto and plural masculine is molti, while the feminine forms are molta (singular) and molte (plural). Similar patterns occur with tanto and poco.

Example Sentences

  • Ho molto pane. — I have a lot of bread.
  • Tu hai molte carte. — You have many cards.
  • Compro tanto cibo. — I buy a lot of food.
  • Laura ha pochi soldi. — Laura has few money.
  • Controllo tutti i prezzi. — I check all the prices.

Special Notes on tutto

Unlike the others, tutto always appears with an article (like tutto il, tutti i) and agrees with the noun accordingly. For example, tutta la mattina means "all morning," and tutti i prezzi means "all the prices."

Comparing English and Italian

In English, quantifiers like "much," "many," and "all" do not change form based on the noun's gender or number, whereas in Italian, adjective agreement is essential. Also, the placement of these quantifiers relative to the noun often differs slightly. For example, "many cards" is molte carte (with the quantifier agreeing and preceding the noun). This lesson prepares you to correctly use these common quantifiers, a foundational step for expressing quantities clearly in Italian.

Useful Words/Phrases

  • molto/molta/molti/molte — much/many
  • tanto/tanta/tanti/tante — so much/so many
  • poco/poca/pochi/poche — few/little
  • tutto/tutta/tutti/tutte — all/every (with article)

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Fabio Pirioni

Bachelor in Humanities

University of Udine

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Last Updated:

Monday, 14/07/2025 21:48