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B2 · 50 words
Precise adjectives in Italian
Not « good » and « bad », but established, arguable, hasty, negligible.
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From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.
More about this list The twenty-second entry is casuale , and it is the one adjective on this page an English reader will get backwards without noticing. Casuale is about chance and nothing else: il risultato è casuale says the outcome was random, un incontro casuale is a chance meeting, and a caso means at random. It says nothing about how anybody was dressed or how anybody behaved. English « casual » went the other way. It keeps the chance sense only in fossils such as « a casual acquaintance » and « casual labour », and its ordinary meaning is now informal, unhurried, off-hand. The two are close enough at the root, Latin casus , a falling, for the mistake to feel safe, and far enough apart that una spiegazione casuale is an explanation arrived at by chance rather than a relaxed one. The neat part is what Italian did next: it borrowed « casual » straight back, unchanged and unaccented, for clothes and manner, so un abbigliamento casual and vestirsi casual now sit beside casuale . One final e separates chance from comfort.
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Adjective (50)
Grammar for these: Adjective agreement · Where the adjective stands
lampante glaringly obvious Adjective B2 La contraddizione è lampante. The contradiction is glaringly obvious.
evidente plain to see Adjective B2 C’è un errore evidente nel calcolo. There is a plain mistake in the calculation.
notorio common knowledge Adjective B2 Il suo rigore è notorio. His exactness is common knowledge.
accertato established as fact Adjective B2 Il fatto è accertato da tempo. The fact has long been established.
innegabile undeniable Adjective B2 Il progresso è innegabile. The progress is undeniable.
incontestabile incontestable Adjective B2 La sua competenza è incontestabile. His expertise is incontestable.
opinabile open to argument Adjective B2 Il calcolo resta opinabile. The calculation remains open to argument.
approssimativo approximate Adjective B2 Questa cifra è approssimativa. That figure is approximate.
rigoroso rigorous Adjective B2 Il metodo è rigoroso. The method is rigorous.
sommario cursory Adjective B2 Una descrizione sommaria basta qui. A cursory description is enough here.
esaustivo exhaustive Adjective B2 L’elenco non è esaustivo. The list is not exhaustive.
succinto succinct Adjective B2 Un riassunto succinto vale più di un testo lungo. A succinct summary is worth more than a long text.
superfluo superfluous Adjective B2 Questo paragrafo è superfluo. This paragraph is superfluous.
indispensabile indispensable Adjective B2 Questo documento è indispensabile. This document is indispensable.
preliminare prior Adjective B2 È richiesto un accordo preliminare. Prior agreement is required.
successivo later Adjective B2 Ne parleremo in un momento successivo. We shall talk about it at a later point.
imminente imminent Adjective B2 La partenza è imminente. Departure is imminent.
effimero short-lived Adjective B2 Il successo è stato effimero. The success was short-lived.
sporadico isolated Adjective B2 Si tratta di un caso sporadico. This is an isolated case.
ricorrente recurrent Adjective B2 Il problema è ricorrente. The problem is recurrent.
sistematico systematic Adjective B2 Il controllo è sistematico. The checking is systematic.
casuale random Adjective B2 Il risultato è casuale. The result is random.
deliberato deliberate Adjective B2 È stata una scelta deliberata. It was a deliberate choice.
involontario unintentional Adjective B2 L’omissione è stata involontaria. The omission was unintentional.
spontaneo spontaneous Adjective B2 La sua reazione è stata spontanea. Her reaction was spontaneous.
ponderato carefully weighed Adjective B2 Una decisione ponderata richiede tempo. A carefully weighed decision takes time.
affrettato hasty Adjective B2 Il giudizio era affrettato. The judgement was hasty.
prematuro premature Adjective B2 È prematuro trarre conclusioni. It is premature to draw conclusions.
tardivo belated Adjective B2 La risposta è stata tardiva. The answer came belatedly.
opportuno well timed Adjective B2 Il momento è opportuno. The moment is well timed.
inopportuno ill timed Adjective B2 L’osservazione era inopportuna. The remark was ill timed.
oculato shrewd Adjective B2 La scelta del luogo è oculata. The choice of venue is shrewd.
azzardato rash Adjective B2 Il confronto è azzardato. The comparison is rash.
rischioso hazardous Adjective B2 L’impresa è rischiosa. The undertaking is hazardous.
innocuo harmless Adjective B2 La domanda non era innocua. The question was not harmless.
decisivo decisive Adjective B2 L’ultimo argomento è stato decisivo. The last argument was decisive.
marginale marginal Adjective B2 L’effetto resta marginale. The effect remains marginal.
considerevole considerable Adjective B2 La differenza è considerevole. The difference is considerable.
trascurabile negligible Adjective B2 Lo scarto è trascurabile. The discrepancy is negligible.
sostanziale substantial Adjective B2 Una parte sostanziale del bilancio se ne va. A substantial part of the budget goes on it.
irrisorio derisory Adjective B2 La somma è irrisoria. The sum is derisory.
eccessivo excessive Adjective B2 Il termine è eccessivo. The deadline is excessive.
moderato moderate Adjective B2 Un aumento moderato è accettabile. A moderate increase is acceptable.
sfumato shaded Adjective B2 Il suo parere è sfumato. His opinion is shaded.
netto clear-cut Adjective B2 La sua posizione è netta. Her position is clear-cut.
ambiguo ambiguous Adjective B2 La formulazione è ambigua. The wording is ambiguous.
univoco unambiguous Adjective B2 L’istruzione deve essere univoca. The instruction must be unambiguous.
equivoco equivocal Adjective B2 La sua risposta era equivoca. His answer was equivocal.
preponderante predominant Adjective B2 Questo fattore è preponderante. This factor is predominant.
secondario secondary Adjective B2 Qui la questione del costo è secondaria. Here the question of cost is secondary.
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