Solo and soltanto are often confused by Italian learners because they translate “only”. However, they are not quite the same. Let’s see how to use both with some example sentences.
Solo in Italian: How to use it
Solo is an adverb with the meaning of “only”.
Mia sorella ha solo cinque anni.
My sister is only five years old.
Soltanto in Italian: How to use it
Soltanto is an adverb with the meaning of “only”. It can replace solo to give more emphasis to the sentence. Solo is more common than soltanto in everyday speech.
Queste scarpe costano soltanto venti euro.
These shoes cost only twenty euros.
Solamente in Italian: How to use it
Solamente is an adverb with the meaning of “only”. It can replace solo and soltanto to give more emphasis to the sentence. This is the less common adverb between the three.
Solamente uno diventerà re.
Only one will become king.
Solo and soltanto as conjunctions
Solo and soltanto (and solamente, too) can also be conjuctions. When used this way, they are paired with che to translate the English “only” when it has the meaning of “but”.
Mi piace questa casa, solo che è troppo costosa.
I like this house, only it’s too expensive.
Ho cercato di chiamarti, soltanto che il tuo telefono era spento.
I tried to call you, but your phone was off.
Solo as a noun and adjective
Another difference between solo, soltanto and solamente in Italian is that solo can also be a noun and an adjective.
As a noun, solo has the meaning of “the only”, “the one”. For example, you can find it in the expression il solo e unico, “the one and only”.
Il ragazzo fu il solo ad alzarsi.
The boy was the only one who got up.
Use la sola if the subject is feminine singular, le sole if the subject is feminine plural and i soli when it’s masculine plural.
Marta è la sola che possa aiutarci.
Marta is the only one who can help us.
As an adjective, solo has the meaning of “alone”. It often takes the form of da solo, but the meaning is unchanged. For example, you can say:
Mio zio vive solo.
My uncle lives alone.
Elena lavora da sola in ufficio.
Elena works alone in the office.
More free Italian resources
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