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How to Say ‘So-so, better than before.’ in Italian

Insomma, meglio di prima.

een-SOM-mah MEHL-lyoh dee PREE-mah

[een-SOM-mah MEHL-lyoh dee PREE-mah]

🇮🇹 In Italy: Italians tend to answer health questions honestly rather than with a breezy "fine". A modest insomma invites the listener to show sympathy and ask more.

Phrase Breakdown

Insomma,

een-SOM-mah

So-so / well,

Here it expresses 'more or less, not great'. Hold the double 'm': in-SOM-mah.

Example

Com'è andata? Insomma.

How did it go? So-so.

Words in this phrase

Insomma

[een-SOM-mah]

well / so-so

Filler word meaning 'well', or 'so-so' when describing how things are.

Example

Come stai? Insomma.

How are you? So-so.

meglio di prima.

MEHL-lyoh dee PREE-mah

better than before.

'Meglio' is the comparative of 'bene'. Remember the soft 'gli' sound.

Example

Il ginocchio va meglio di prima.

The knee is better than before.

Words in this phrase

meglio

[MEHL-lyoh]

better

An adverb meaning in a better way or more effectively.

Example

Per seguire i nuovi contatti meglio, uso un foglio con tutti i dettagli.

To follow up with new contacts better, I use a sheet with all the details.

[dee]

than

Used in comparisons to mean 'than'.

Example

Sono più alto di te.

I'm taller than you.

prima

[PREE-mah]

before

Indicates earlier than a certain moment or event.

Example

La regola vale «Fino a ventiquattro ore prima» della prenotazione.

The rule applies "until twenty-four hours before" the reservation.

Guides for Italian learners

Duolingo vs Busuu: Which Is Better for Actually Improving?Duolingo vs Busuu compared: a free gamified habit versus structured levels with corrections from native speakers. Which to choose, and when to use both.

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