Meaning
main, principal
- major, flagship
In a sentence
Questo è il problema principale oggi.
This is the main problem today.
Qual è la tua idea principale?
What is your main idea?
Abbiamo visitato il negozio principale ieri.
We visited the main store yesterday.
Word forms (4)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| principale | masculine · singular |
| principale | feminine · singular |
| principali | masculine · plural |
| principali | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use 'principale' for the most important thing in a group, not just 'importante'. 'Il motivo principale' = the main reason.
- Always agrees in gender/number: 'la strada principale', 'i problemi principali'.
- More formal than 'più importante' but interchangeable in most contexts.