Meaning · adverb
less
- not; non-
- minus
- minus (an amount of time)
In a sentence
Oggi ho meno tempo del solito.
Today I have less time than usual.
Perché spendi meno di prima?
Why do you spend less than before?
Cinque meno due fa tre.
Five minus two equals three.
Usage notes
- Use 'meno' for quantities, 'non' for negation. 'Ho meno tempo' (I have less time), not 'ho non tempo'.
- 'Meno' + adjective/adverb = comparative. 'Più veloce' (faster), 'meno veloce' (less fast). No extra words needed.
- In time expressions, 'meno' often pairs with 'un quarto' or 'mezzo'. 'Sono le tre meno un quarto' (It's a quarter to three).
In a sentence
C'è un meno davanti al numero.
There is a minus sign in front of the number.
Il meno si scrive così: -
The minus sign is written like this: -
L'unico meno di questa casa è il rumore.
The only downside of this house is the noise.
Word forms (1)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|
| meno | singular |
Usage notes
- As a noun, meno appears mainly in math or scorekeeping: il meno, segno meno. In everyday speech it's usually an adverb, not a noun.
- Don't confuse noun meno with minuscolo hyphen-like punctuation. For subtraction, Italians commonly say meno between numbers: cinque meno due.
- In temperatures and debts, sotto zero or in rosso may sound more natural than using meno as a standalone noun.
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