We say “a lot”… well, a lot! We eat a lot. Laugh a lot. Binge-watch a lot of TV series. It’s one of those everyday expressions we use all the time without even thinking about it. But when it comes to saying it in Italian, you might suddenly realise you don’t actually know that many ways to say it. So, in this article, I’ll walk you through the main words and phrases to express “a lot” in Italian, complete with tips and real-life examples to help you start using them right away. Get ready – we’ve got plenty to cover!
Ways to say “a lot” in Italian as a quantifier
Let’s start with quantity. When you want to say “a lot” in Italian to talk about the quantity of something, you’ve got a few options.
Molto
Molto is the simplest and most common way to say “a lot” in Italian, and it can be used in any context. Because it’s used as an adjective, it must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun it refers to.
Oggi non ho molta fame.
Today I’m not very hungry.
(literally “I don’t have a lot of hunger”)
Ci sono molte offerte al supermercato.
There are a lot of deals at the supermarket.
Tanto
Tanto is another super common way to say “a lot” in Italian and follows the same grammar rules as molto.
Siamo stati a Roma tanti anni fa.
We were in Rome many years ago.
Technically, molto and tanto can be used in place of each other in many different contexts without changing what you’re saying. However, if you want to emphasise the frequency or quantity of something, tanto is the stronger choice. Take a look at these two examples:
Ti abbiamo detto molte volte di non farlo. Ora ne paghi le conseguenze.
We told you many times not to do it. Now you’re paying the price.
It states the facts plainly.
Ti abbiamo detto tante volte di non farlo. Ora ne paghi le conseguenze.
We told you sooo many times not to do it. Now you’re paying the price.
Still the same message, but with a hint of exasperation.
Parecchio
Another useful word to memorise is parecchio, which is perfect for describing a moderate yet significant amount, as it refers to a quantity somewhat less than molto and tanto. As with those words, it must agree in gender and number with the noun it refers to.
Non vedo Antonio da parecchio tempo.
I haven’t seen Antonio in quite a while.
Questa bravata gli costerà parecchi giorni di sospensione.
This stunt will cost him quite a few days of suspension.
Next, we have a series of expressions used to mean “a lot” as a quantifier. They are all followed by the preposition di (of) and stay the same regardless of what they refer to, so no need to change the ending.
Un sacco di
Un sacco di is a popular, everyday way to say “a lot of” in Italian. The word sacco literally means “sack” or “bag,” so it’s like you’re talking about a whole bagful of something. It’s casual and friendly but not too informal, so you can use it comfortably in most situations.
Mio fratello ha un sacco di amici in Italia.
My brother has a lot of friends in Italy.
Un mucchio di
Mucchio literally refers to a messy stack of things thrown together without much order. So when you say un mucchio di, you’re evoking the image of a chaotic pile, suggesting just how much you’re dealing with.
Ho un mucchio di panni da stirare stasera.
I have a pile of clothes to iron tonight.
Un casino di
Casino can mean different things depending on the context, from a “mess” to a “brothel” (yes, really). But in everyday Italian, it’s often used to mean “a lot” in the expression un casino di. It’s similar to saying un mucchio di, but with a more informal tone, so it’s best avoided in formal situations.
Lucia ha detto che stasera non esce, ha ancora un casino di cose da studiare per l’esame.
Lucia said she’s not going out tonight, she still has tons of stuff to study for the exam.
Un botto di
When we say un botto di, we mean a ton of something. Since botto literally translates to “bang” or “firework,” the expression carries a sense of excess. It’s slangy and common in everyday informal speech, particularly among the younger crowd.
Questa borsa è costata un botto di soldi, ma la adoro!
This bag cost a ton of money, but I love it!
Una caterva di
Here’s an expression with curious origins: una caterva di comes from the Latin caterva, referring to a bunch of unruly barbarian soldiers, which, to the super organised Romans, looked like wild, chaotic hordes compared to their tidy legions. These days, the phrase means something like “a huge, messy multitude of something.” It’s not as common as the other expressions in this guide, but it’s a fun way to dramatise the quantity of something.
Mia figlia ha una caterva di vestiti e si lamenta che non ha mai niente da mettersi!
My daughter has a ton of clothes and still complains she has nothing to wear!
Una marea di
Marea is the Italian word for “tide,” and this expression brings to mind something in huge amounts, just like the sea rising at high tide. It’s informal and very common in everyday speech.
Ti ho mandato una marea di messaggi, perché non hai risposto?
I sent you a ton of messages, why didn’t you answer?
Una valanga di
From sea to mountains: valanga means “avalanche” and just like the real thing, this expression describes anything that comes down on you in overwhelming amounts, whether it’s good things like messages or compliments, or less pleasant like criticism or work emails.
Dopo che il post è andato virale su Instagram, abbiamo ricevuto una valanga di prenotazioni.
After the post went viral on Instagram, we got a flood of bookings.
Un macello di
The word macello literally means “slaughterhouse,” but it’s often used to talk about total chaos, a massive mess, or just way too much of something, usually with a sense of being overwhelmed or stressed. It’s super casual and slangy, so it’s best saved for informal chats with friends.
In ufficio c’è un macello di lavoro e troppo poco personale per gestirlo.
There’s a ton of work at the office and too few people to handle it.
Ways to say “a lot” in Italian as an adverb
Now that we’ve covered how to say “a lot” in Italian as a quantifier when talking about how many things there are, let’s look at how to use it as an adverb to describe how much someone does something. Some of the same expressions show up here, but they behave a bit differently, since adverbs don’t change their endings based on gender or number. Nice and simple!
Molto
Molto is by far the most common adverb used in Italian to say “a lot.” It’s super handy because it works with all kinds of words: verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
Ci piace molto quel ristorante.
We really like that restaurant.
Questi articoli sono molto interessanti, dovresti leggerli.
These articles are very interesting; you should read them.
È molto meglio non dirle niente.
It’s much better not to tell her anything.
Tanto
Tanto is also frequently used as an adverb to mean “a lot.” Like when we saw it used with adjectives earlier, tanto is perfect for emphasising how often something happens or how intense it is.
Non lo vedo da un mese, mi manca tanto.
I haven’t seen him for a month, I miss him so much.
È stato un momento talmente tanto bello che mi sono commossa.
It was such a beautiful moment that I got really emotional.
Questa vacanza ci ha fatto davvero tanto bene.
This vacation really did us a lot of good.
Un sacco
Un sacco is basically the equivalent of saying “loads” in English, and it’s typically placed right after a verb.
Mi piacciono un sacco queste scarpe.
I really like these shoes.
But un sacco can also be used in a more casual, slangy way to intensify adjectives.
Lucio è un sacco bello!
Lucio is really handsome!
(For cinephiles, un sacco bello is also the title of a popular 1980’s movie by Carlo Verdone!)
Un casino
You can use un casino when talking about “a ton” of something, or to express that something happened a lot. It’s a very laid-back, slangy expression.
Ieri abbiamo dormito un casino, eravamo stanchissimi dopo il concerto.
Yesterday we slept a ton, we were exhausted after the concert.
Parecchio
Parecchio is a solid choice when you want to say “a lot” without sounding too dramatic. It’s not over-the-top, but it still lets people know there’s plenty of something going on.
Devi impegnarti parecchio se vuoi riconquistare la fiducia di Giovanna.
You’ve got to work pretty hard if you want to win Giovanna’s trust back.
Un botto
Un botto is a lively way to say there’s a ton of something happening. It’s especially popular with younger people who want to sound casual and punchy.
Ultimamente ascolto un botto di musica rap.
Lately, I’ve been listening to a ton of rap music.
Una cifra
Literally, cifra means figure (as in numbers), but in everyday slang, una cifra is used to mean “a lot” or “a ton,” especially when you want to brag that you went all out. It’s super informal and adds a fun, energetic vibe to your stories when chatting with friends.
Ci siamo divertiti una cifra l’estate scorsa in Spagna.
We had such a great time last summer in Spain.
Da morire
When you want to say you’re feeling something really strongly – whether it’s love, pain, or even laughter – da morire literally means “to death.” In other words, you’re feeling it big time.
Ti amo da morire!
I love you so much!
Da impazzire / Da matti
Both da impazzire (to go crazy) and da matti (like crazy people) are casual expressions to say something is so much it drives you crazy, whether with joy, excitement, or frustration. These phrases are very popular in everyday Italian, and work similarly to saying “like crazy” in English.
Mia figlia si diverte da matti con questo nuovo gioco.
My daughter has a blast with this new game.
Di brutto
Taken literally, di brutto means “in an ugly way,” but don’t let the translation fool you: this slang expression is all about serious intensity. It’s informal, bold, and very popular among younger Italians.
Ieri ha piovuto di brutto durante la partita.
Yesterday, it poured really hard during the game.
A bizzeffe
A bizzeffe is a fun, slightly old-fashioned Italian expressions that means “in abundance.” You won’t hear it in teen slang, but it will definitely make you sound delightfully fluent. Some say it comes from the Arabic word bizzāf, meaning “a lot,” which may have entered Italian through trade and merchant routes. Others trace it back to ancient Rome, where magistrates would write fiat fiat (Latin for “so be it, so be it”) when granting full clemency, essentially signalling a generous amount of mercy. That repetition, abbreviated as FF (or bis effe, meaning “double F”), eventually morphed into bizzeffe.
Di scuse ne trovano sempre a bizzeffe, ma prima o poi dovranno assumersi le loro responsabilità.
They always come up with tons of excuses, but sooner or later they’ll have to take responsibility.
A iosa
Let’s wrap up this list with another linguistic gem: a iosa, a playful expression that also means “in abundance.” It’s believed to come from the Tuscan word chiosa, which referred to fake coins kids used to play with. And since anything bought with chiose was cheap and available in large quantities, the expression a chiosa came to mean “plenty of something.” Over time, the Tuscan accent dropped the ch and the expression evolved into a iosa.
Adoro i Baci di Dama, ne mangerei a iosa!
I love Baci di Dama (Lady’s Kisses cookies), I could eat a ton of them!
Valentina Nicastro is a travel writer in love with her home country, Italy. Having travelled widely around the globe, she realised there was more to explore closer to home and decided to put the passport aside for a while. When she is not immersed in documenting Italy, you’ll find her donning her communication consultant hat, weaving words as a content writer and bridging linguistic divides as a translator.
