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How to Say ‘Better not the almond one, though.’ in Italian

Quello di mandorla però meglio di no.

KWEL-loh dee MAN-dor-lah peh-ROH MEHL-lyoh dee no

[KWEL-loh dee MAN-dor-lah peh-ROH MEHL-lyoh dee no]

💬 Usage Tip: però "though" can sit in the middle of the sentence, much like English "though". Italians often put the topic first, here quello di mandorla, and then comment on it.

Phrase Breakdown

Quello di mandorla

KWEL-loh dee MAN-dor-lah

The almond one

'Quello' stands in for a noun already mentioned, here the almond milk. Double the 'll' in 'quello'. In 'mandorla' the stress falls on 'MAN'.

Example

Prendo quello di mandorla.

I'll take the almond one.

Words in this phrase

Quello

[KWEL-loh]

that one

Demonstrative pronoun pointing to something farther away.

Example

Voglio quello rosso.

I want that red one.

[dee]

Preposition linking nouns, often translated as of.

Example

Che tipo di ruolo è disponibile?

What kind of role is available?

mandorla

[MAN-dor-lah]

Almond

A nut from which milk can be extracted, used as a non-dairy milk alternative.

Example

Di mandorla preferisco il latte nel mio caffè.

I prefer almond milk in my coffee.

però meglio di no.

peh-ROH MEHL-lyoh dee no

but better not.

'Però' means 'but/however' and is stressed on the last syllable: pe-RÒ. 'Meglio di no' is a polite way to decline.

Example

Il caffè? Meglio di no.

Coffee? Better not.

Words in this phrase

però

[peh-ROH]

but

Used to introduce a contrast or exception.

Example

Però, c'è un problema.

But, there's a problem.

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]

(not translated)

Used in 'meglio di no', meaning 'better not'.

Example

Credo di no.

I don't think so.

[no]

Used to give a negative response.

Example

No, grazie.

No, thank you.

Guides for Italian learners

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