In this lesson we start looking at the comparative forms of adjectives. Unlike English, where we have a dedicated comparative and superlative form, Italian makes use of adverbs più "more" or meno "less" and the prepositions or conjunctions di (of, than) or che (than, that) in addition to the adjective itself. Daniela shows us how this works.

The teacher has a different look today, as she quizzes Anna about the Piedmont region of Italy. Anna tries to get on the good side of her irritable maestra.

Daniela talks more about when to use che (that, than) or di (of, than) as comparative words.

Ezio comes from the north of Italy, but has been living for nearly ten years in Sicily, and more exactly in Marsala. He loves music, and at night he often goes to clubs, where he joins in, playing his harmonica with different bands.

Ready for a new recipe? We're in Piedmont, and this recipe is definitely not low-calorie. But it's perfect for those cold winter days in the mountains.

When two like things are compared, as in the sentence "You are as old as I am," it's called a comparison of equality. Daniela explains how this works in Italian.

Lucio Dalla and Francesco De Gregori perform the song that was originally titled “Gesù Bambino” [Christ Child] but was changed to Dalla's date of birth after censure from the Sanremo music festival.

Marika and Anna show us the steps involved in creating this hearty dish from the Piedmont Region.

Daniela continues with examples of how tanto and quanto are used together in comparisons, as well as the pairing of così and come. She also provides examples involving quantities, where the word sets are not interchangeable.

Christmas greetings from Italy by way of a Christmas poem by Alda Merini.

Daniela explains how adverbs tanto and quanto are always used together in comparisons. Likewise, così and come are always paired together. “Billy is as tall as Tom” would be an equivalent construction in English. She also focuses on adjectives that have 2 comparative forms like buono (good), cattivo (bad, nasty), and grande (big).

Daniela delves into the absolute superlative for adjectives, and covers the wonderfully fun ending, -issimo.

Anna volunteers to be questioned about Lazio. The teacher seems to be in a good mood, so Anna is encouraged. What grade will she receive?

This super simple pasta dish is one of the most famous Roman ones and is served in most restaurants. This time there aren't many ingredients to hunt down, but Pecorino Romano is key.

Daniela illustrates other ways of forming the absolute superlative for adjectives in Italian. These include repeating an adjective twice, the placement of a prefix before an adjective, and a list of words, such as "exceedingly," used in conjunction with an adjective.