Italian Così and Tale: ‘Like This’, ‘Such’ (B1)

🔍 In short. Italian così tale are the two words that handle “like this”, “in this way”, “such”, and “of that kind”. Così is an adverb: it points to a manner. Fanno così means “they do it this way”. È andata così means “that’s how it went”. Tale is an adjective: it points to a kind. Una cosa tale means “such a thing”, tali sostanze “substances of that kind”. The cousin form talmente works like così as a degree word (“so + adjective”), with a slightly stronger pulse. In tal modo is the fixed, semi-formal twin of così for written Italian. This B1 guide sorts the four together and shows where each one belongs.

Get italian così tale right and your spoken Italian stops sounding like a textbook. You’ll trade in questo modo for the natural così, and you’ll stop reaching for un tipo di when tale would do the job in one word. The italian così tale pair is one of those small grammar lessons that pays off the next day.

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The one-liner rule for italian così tale

The italian così tale rule is short. Use così when you want to point at a way of doing something: a manner, a method, the way things went. Use tale when you want to point at a kind of thing: a type, a category, a quality you’ve just named. The italian così tale split lines up almost perfectly with the English split between “like this / like that” (manner) and “such / of that kind” (kind). One half of italian così tale handles verbs and adjectives, the other half handles nouns. Hold that diagnostic and italian così tale becomes mechanical.

Così as an adverb: in this way, like that

The first job of così in the italian così tale pair is to refer back to a manner the speaker has just shown, said, or implied. A waiter in Latina mimes the gesture and says si tiene così, “you hold it like this”. A farmer points at a misshapen cheese on the table and says è venuta così, “it came out like this”. The English equivalent is “like this”, “like that”, “this way”, “that way”, “so”. The Italian word is a single syllable that points at the demonstration it accompanies.

  • Susanna lavora così, sempre con il termometro in mano.
    Susanna works like this, always with a thermometer in her hand.
  • È andata così: la fermentazione è partita troppo tardi.
    That’s how it went: the fermentation started too late.
  • Facciamo così: tu controlli la temperatura, io chiamo il veterinario.
    Let’s do it this way: you check the temperature, I’ll call the vet.
  • Le bufale fanno così di solito quando arriva un tecnico nuovo.
    Buffalo cows act like that usually when a new technician arrives.
  • Ercole, non parlare così a tuo padre.
    Ercole, don’t talk to your father like that.

Notice how così sits next to the verb. It modifies the verb’s manner, the way the action happens. A close cousin in writing is in questo modo or in tal modo; both work, both sound a degree more formal. In speech, così wins almost every time. If you’d say “this way” or “like that” in English, you want così in Italian, not in questo modo. This manner half of italian così tale carries most of the spoken-language load. A typical italian così tale conversation will land on così three or four times before tale shows up at all.

Così as a degree word: so + adjective

The second job of così within italian così tale is to sit in front of an adjective or adverb and intensify it: così bello, così tardi, così stanco. English “so + adjective” matches almost perfectly. The structure is invariable: così never changes form, never agrees with gender or number. This is the half of italian così tale you’ll meet most often in everyday speech.

  • Era così caldo nel laboratorio che la cagliata si rompeva male.
    It was so hot in the workshop that the curd broke up badly.
  • Una mozzarella così filante non la facevamo da settimane.
    A mozzarella this stringy we hadn’t made in weeks.
  • Non immaginavo che fosse così difficile trovare buon latte di bufala.
    I had no idea it was so hard to find good buffalo milk.
  • Sei venuto così presto stamattina?
    Did you come this early this morning?
  • Non l’avrei mai detta così esperta dopo solo due anni.
    I would never have called her so experienced after only two years.

Two patterns to bank for the italian così tale system. First, così + adjective + che + clause: a consequence sentence with a meaning of “so X that Y”. Era così stanco che si è addormentato in piedi, “he was so tired that he fell asleep standing up”. Second, un + noun + così + adjective: the slot for “such (a) + adjective + noun”. Una giornata così calda, “such a hot day”. Un cliente così esigente, “such a demanding customer”. English drops “such” before the noun; Italian wraps the noun in the indefinite article and pushes così after.

🎯 Mini-challenge: Fill in così in the right slot.

  1. Susanna parla ___ piano che a volte non la sentiamo dal piazzale.
  2. La cagliata non si lavora ___, ci vuole più calma.
  3. È stata una settimana ___ intensa che siamo crollati la domenica.
  4. Mi spieghi perché hai chiuso le vasche ___?
  5. Non avrei mai pensato che la consegna potesse essere ___ veloce.
👉 See answers

 

1. parla così piano (degree before adjective)

2. non si lavora così (manner adverb after verb)

3. una settimana così intensa che (un + noun + così + adj + che + consequence)

4. hai chiuso le vasche così? (manner: in this way)

5. potesse essere così veloce (degree: so fast)

Tale: such a, of that kind

The italian così tale split sends manner to così and kind to tale. Tale is an adjective that sits in front of (or behind) a noun and points to a category the speaker has just mentioned or has in mind. The closest English match is “such a” or “of that kind”. Una proposta tale, “a proposal of that sort”. Tali sostanze, “substances of this kind”. The word is singular tale, plural tali, with no separate masculine and feminine forms. Of the italian così tale duo, tale is the rarer one in conversation but the more useful one in clean writing.

  • Ercole non aveva mai visto una resa tale del latte di bufala.
    Ercole had never seen such a yield from buffalo milk.
  • Tali differenze tra mungitura mattutina e serale sono fisiologiche.
    Differences of this kind between morning and evening milking are physiological.
  • Non avrei mai immaginato una richiesta tale dalla grande distribuzione.
    I would never have imagined a request of that kind from large-scale retail.
  • Una tale leggerezza sulla tracciabilità non è ammissibile in un caseificio.
    Such carelessness about traceability is not acceptable in a dairy.
  • Tali condizioni rendono il trasporto fino a Roma molto delicato.
    Such conditions make transport up to Rome very delicate.

Two structural notes for the tale half of italian così tale. First, the position. Tale usually sits before the noun (una tale storia, tali sostanze), but it follows the noun when a che or da clause is attached: una storia tale che non ti dico, “a story such that I can’t tell you”. Un urlo tale da svegliare i vicini, “a shout such as to wake the neighbours”. Second, the article. Un tale + noun is the standard form for “such a + noun”; without the article (tali sostanze) the noun reads as plural and more formal, the kind of sentence you’d meet in a regulation or in a serious article. This is where italian così tale shows its written-prose side.

One historical leftover survives in fixed phrases: the truncated form tal. You’ll meet it in in tal modo, tal quale, una tal cosa, il tal dei tali. Outside these set expressions, modern Italian prefers the full tale.

Talmente: tale’s adverb twin

The italian così tale family extends to a third member: talmente. Italian builds this adverb from tale by adding the suffix that turns adjectives into manner adverbs. It works almost interchangeably with the degree-word use of così: era talmente caldo che l’impasto si è strappato, “it was so hot that the curd tore”. Both are correct, both are common, and most native speakers wouldn’t pause to choose between them. The shade of difference is that talmente carries a touch more emphasis and is slightly more frequent in writing.

  • Susanna era talmente concentrata sulla filatura che non ha sentito il telefono.
    Susanna was so focused on the spinning that she didn’t hear the phone.
  • Il latte è arrivato talmente fresco che abbiamo lavorato tutto in giornata.
    The milk arrived so fresh that we worked all of it within the day.
  • Ercole parla talmente piano al telefono che a volte non lo capisco.
    Ercole speaks so quietly on the phone that sometimes I can’t make him out.

One small note for the italian così tale toolbox: tanto is another option in the same slot (era tanto caldo che), and a fourth, less common one is sì in literary texts. For everyday B1 Italian, stay with così and talmente; either is right. The rule is purely about pulse: talmente sounds a beat heavier, così a beat lighter. Italian così tale plus talmente covers ninety percent of the degree-word situations a B1 learner meets.

In tal modo and a few fixed phrases

The italian così tale system has a small set of frozen expressions where the truncated tal survives and where you can’t substitute così without changing the register. The most useful ones for a B1 learner who reads news and regulations are in tal modo (“in that way”, “thus”), in tal caso (“in that case”, “if so”), a tal punto (“to such a degree”), a tal fine (“to that end”), and tal quale (“just the same”, “exactly as it is”).

  • In tal modo evitiamo che l’impasto si rompa durante la filatura.
    This way we prevent the curd from breaking during the spinning.
  • In tal caso, conviene rinviare la consegna a martedì.
    If that’s the case, it’s better to postpone the delivery to Tuesday.
  • Le bufale erano stressate a tal punto che la resa è crollata.
    The buffalo cows were stressed to such a degree that the yield collapsed.
  • Mi ha restituito il termometro tal quale, senza dire una parola.
    He gave the thermometer back just as it was, without a word.

You’ll meet these phrases in business e-mails, technical reports, courtroom transcripts, official letters. In a relaxed chat over an espresso, swap them for così and in questo modo: in tal modo at the bar would sound oddly stiff. Treccani notes that these are “espressioni cristallizzate”, crystallised expressions, that have outlived the free use of tal in modern Italian. These fixed phrases sit at the formal end of the italian così tale spectrum.

Simile, del genere, siffatto: the alternatives to tale

Beyond the core italian così tale pair, Italian gives you three close alternatives to tale when you mean “of that kind”. They split clearly by register. Simile is neutral and works in any context: una proposta simile, “a similar proposal” or “a proposal of that kind”. Del genere is the colloquial choice: una cosa del genere, “something like that”. Siffatto is formal and a touch archaic, the kind of word you meet in a court judgment or in 19th-century prose: siffatto comportamento, “such behaviour”.

  • Una mozzarella simile non si trovava nemmeno nei mercati di Latina.
    A mozzarella like that wasn’t even found in the Latina markets.
  • Non ho mai sentito una scusa del genere da un fornitore di latte.
    I’ve never heard an excuse like that from a milk supplier.
  • Siffatta superficialità nei controlli sanitari è inaccettabile.
    Such superficiality in health checks is unacceptable.

For everyday B1 use of italian così tale plus its neighbours, learn the pair tale / del genere and use them in their natural settings. Tale belongs in clean, slightly formal prose (an article, an email to a customer); del genere belongs in spoken Italian and informal writing (a text message, a chat with a colleague). Simile sits comfortably in both. Leave siffatto for reading.

Cheat sheet

One table that catches every italian così tale situation you’ll meet at B1. Keep it open while you build your next sentence with italian così tale.

You want to sayWordItalian exampleEnglish
In this way / like that (manner)cosìSi fa così.You do it like this.
That’s how it wentcosìÈ andata così.That’s how it went.
So + adjective (degree)così / talmenteEra così stanco. / talmente stanco.He was so tired.
Such (a) + adj + nounun + noun + così + adjUna giornata così calda.Such a hot day.
Such a (+ noun, kind)un taleUna tale richiesta.Such a request.
Substances/things of that kindtaliTali sostanze.Such substances.
Such (a noun) that / as tonoun + tale + che/daUn urlo tale da svegliare i vicini.A shout such as to wake the neighbours.
In that way (formal)in tal modoIn tal modo si evita lo spreco.That way one avoids waste.
If that’s the casein tal casoIn tal caso, rimandiamo.In that case, let’s postpone.
Just as it istal qualeMe l’ha restituito tal quale.He gave it back just as it was.
Of that kind (colloquial)del genereUna cosa del genere.Something like that.
Of that kind (neutral)simileUna proposta simile.A proposal of that kind.

Five italian così tale traps for English speakers

These are the five places English speakers slip with italian così tale. Each italian così tale trap is fixable in a sentence.

Trap 1: Using così in front of a noun

Una così storia is wrong. The italian così tale system never allows così to sit directly in front of a noun. Così can sit in front of an adjective but not in front of a noun. The correct version is una storia così (manner: “a story like that”) or una tale storia (kind: “such a story”). If you want the “so + adjective + noun” structure, wrap the noun in the indefinite article and push così after: una storia così strana, “such a strange story”.

Trap 2: Forcing tale to agree in gender

There’s no tala, no talo. The word is tale in the singular, regardless of gender: un tale uomo, una tale donna. The plural is tali: tali uomini, tali donne. Forgetting that tale doesn’t take a feminine ending is one of the most common B1 slips with italian così tale, because English speakers expect the standard -o/-a pattern.

Trap 3: Translating “such a” automatically as tale

English “such a” splits in two inside italian così tale. “Such a beautiful day” emphasises the degree of the adjective, and the natural translation is una giornata così bella, not una tale bella giornata. “Such a request” refers to the kind of request, and the translation is una tale richiesta. Quick test for italian così tale: if “such” intensifies an adjective, use così; if “such” points to the kind of noun, use tale.

Trap 4: Saying in così modo

In così modo doesn’t exist. The fixed expression is in tal modo, with the truncated form tal that survives only in these set phrases. The same goes for in tal caso, a tal punto, a tal fine. If you want a colloquial alternative, use così on its own: fallo così = fallo in tal modo, just less formal.

Trap 5: Translating “so” as tale

English “so” as a degree word is never tale. “I am so tired” is sono così stanco or sono talmente stanco, never sono tale stanco. Tale works only in front of nouns; così and talmente work in front of adjectives and adverbs. Keep the two italian così tale slots separate and the choice becomes mechanical.

🎯 Mini-challenge: Pick così, tale, tali, or talmente.

  1. Non avevo mai visto una mozzarella ___ filante.
  2. Una ___ richiesta dalla GDO ci ha colto di sorpresa.
  3. Ercole era ___ stanco da non riuscire a guidare.
  4. ___ controlli vanno fatti ogni settimana, sono obbligatori.
  5. Si tiene il termometro ___, perpendicolare al latte.
👉 See answers

 

1. così filante (degree before adjective)

2. una tale richiesta (kind, singular noun)

3. era talmente stanco da (degree + da-clause; così also OK)

4. Tali controlli (kind, plural noun)

5. si tiene così, perpendicolare (manner adverb after verb)

Dialogue at the bufala mozzarella dairy near Latina

The following dialogue runs through every italian così tale use you’ve met above. Susanna, the head cheesemaker at a small caseificio in the agro pontino south of Latina, is showing Ercole, a new technician on his second week, how to handle a difficult batch of buffalo milk. The setting matters: the agro pontino is the heartland of mozzarella di bufala campana, and the work is hot, demanding, and very hands-on. Notice how often italian così tale surfaces in a single conversation.

👩🏼‍🦰 Susanna: Ercole, vieni qui un attimo. Guarda come si stacca l’impasto: si prende così, con il bastone sotto, e si solleva piano.

👨🏽‍🦱 Ercole: Una mozzarella così tirata non l’avevo mai vista. Stamattina mi sembrava più dura.

👩🏼‍🦰 Susanna: Il latte è arrivato talmente fresco che la cagliata è venuta perfetta. Una giornata così, una volta al mese se va bene.

👨🏽‍🦱 Ercole: Ma allora tali differenze tra una mungitura e l’altra sono normali?

👩🏼‍🦰 Susanna: Normalissime. Le bufale fanno così, non sono macchine. Ieri il pH del latte era basso, oggi è perfetto. In tal caso lavoriamo veloci, finché tiene.

👨🏽‍🦱 Ercole: E se domani torna come ieri?

👩🏼‍🦰 Susanna: Allora alziamo la temperatura della filatura di due gradi e basta. In tal modo si compensa un impasto più duro. È una correzione che si fa a occhio, con l’esperienza.

👨🏽‍🦱 Ercole: Posso provare io con la prossima vasca?

👩🏼‍🦰 Susanna: Vai. Però attento: una resa tale non si butta via per fretta. Lavora piano, controlla il termometro ogni due minuti.

👨🏽‍🦱 Ercole: A che temperatura siamo adesso?

👩🏼‍🦰 Susanna: Ottantadue. Per la bufala è giusto così. Se sale a ottantacinque l’impasto si stressa.

👨🏽‍🦱 Ercole: Senti, ieri al mercato di Latina ho sentito un cliente lamentarsi di una mozzarella troppo gommosa. Una cosa del genere capita anche a voi?

👩🏼‍🦰 Susanna: Capita, sì. Una mozzarella così gommosa di solito è stata filata troppo calda, oppure il latte non era abbastanza fresco. Difetti tali si vedono già al taglio, prima del morso.

👨🏽‍🦱 Ercole: E come fate il controllo qualità per il banco di Sermoneta?

👩🏼‍🦰 Susanna: A tal fine teniamo un campione di ogni lotto in frigorifero per ventiquattr’ore. Se a quel punto l’impasto è ancora elastico, parte. Se no, lo usiamo per la mozzarella affumicata.

What to notice in the dialogue

  • si prende così: manner adverb after the verb.
  • una mozzarella così tirata: degree, un + noun + così + adjective.
  • talmente fresco che: degree word with consequence clause.
  • tali differenze: plural tali + noun, kind reference.
  • le bufale fanno così: manner adverb summarising behaviour.
  • in tal caso and in tal modo: fixed phrases for “if so” and “that way”.
  • una resa tale: tale after the noun, no che clause but used emphatically.
  • giusto così: idiomatic “it’s right this way”.
  • una cosa del genere: colloquial alternative to tale.
  • difetti tali: tali after the plural noun for emphasis.
  • a tal fine: bureaucratic-tinged “to that end”.

Mini-challenge

🎯 Final challenge: Translate into natural Italian.

  1. You don’t hold the knife like that.
  2. Such a request from a supplier is unusual.
  3. The room was so cold that we left early.
  4. In that case, let’s call him tomorrow morning.
  5. I had never heard a story of that kind.
  6. That way you avoid all the traffic on the via Pontina.
👉 See answers

 

1. Non si tiene il coltello così. (manner adverb after verb)

2. Una tale richiesta da un fornitore è insolita. (kind: tale + noun)

3. La stanza era così fredda che siamo andati via presto. (degree così + che; talmente also OK)

4. In tal caso, chiamiamolo domani mattina. (fixed phrase: in tal caso)

5. Non avevo mai sentito una storia del genere. (colloquial kind reference; una storia tale also OK)

6. In tal modo eviti tutto il traffico sulla via Pontina. (fixed phrase; così also OK in speech)

Mastering italian così tale comes from noticing them every time a native speaker reaches for “way” or “kind”. Read a few articles on Repubblica, watch a cooking show, and you’ll meet così in every paragraph and tale two or three times per page. The italian così tale split between manner and kind is the kind of mechanical choice that becomes invisible after a month of attention. Pair this guide with the quiz below to lock italian così tale in place, and come back in a week to confirm what stuck. Italian rewards patient learners: each guide on italian così tale stacks the foundation a little higher.

Test your understanding

Take the quiz below to test what you’ve learned about italian così tale. The questions cover both halves of italian così tale, with traps drawn from real B1 classroom errors.

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Frequently asked questions

Six italian così tale questions come up in every B1 cohort. The answers draw on real classroom discussions and on the Treccani vocabolario entry for tale, plus the Crusca consulenza on così.

What is the main difference between così and tale?

Cosi is an adverb: it points at a manner, a way of doing something. Si fa cosi = you do it this way. Era cosi stanco = he was so tired. Tale is an adjective: it points at a kind, a type. Una tale richiesta = such a request. Tali sostanze = substances of that kind. The split lines up almost perfectly with English like this/like that (manner) versus such/of that kind (kind). Cosi sits next to verbs and adjectives; tale sits next to nouns.

Why is it ‘in tal modo’ and not ‘in cosi modo’?

Because in tal modo is a frozen expression where the truncated form tal survives. Modern Italian has lost the free use of tal in front of nouns; only a handful of fixed phrases keep it alive: in tal modo, in tal caso, a tal punto, a tal fine, tal quale, talora, talvolta, il tal dei tali. In all other contexts you use the full tale (un tale uomo, una tale storia). Cosi works on its own as a manner adverb and never combines with modo in a phrase.

Can I always replace cosi with talmente?

Almost always when cosi means so + adjective or so + adverb. Era cosi stanco and era talmente stanco are interchangeable. Talmente carries a slightly heavier emphasis and is a touch more frequent in writing. You cannot replace cosi with talmente when cosi means in this way (manner). Si fa cosi cannot become si fa talmente. The rule: talmente only intensifies adjectives and adverbs, cosi does both jobs.

Does tale change for gender or number?

Tale is the same in masculine and feminine singular: un tale uomo, una tale donna. The plural is tali for both genders: tali uomini, tali donne. There is no tala or talo. The invariable singular trips up English speakers who expect the standard -o/-a pattern. The truncated form tal appears only in fixed phrases (in tal modo, in tal caso) and in occasional written sentences before a vowel (una tal idea), but the full tale is the modern default.

How do simile, del genere, and siffatto differ from tale?

All three mean of that kind, like tale, but they split by register. Simile is neutral and works anywhere: una proposta simile. Del genere is colloquial, the form you hear in conversation: una cosa del genere. Siffatto is formal and slightly archaic, the kind of word you meet in court judgments or 19th-century prose: siffatto comportamento. For everyday B1 use, master tale and del genere; reach for simile when you want a middle register; leave siffatto for reading.

What is the structure for ‘such a + adjective + noun’ in Italian?

It’s the wrap-around pattern un + noun + cosi + adjective. Such a hot day = una giornata cosi calda, not una tale calda giornata. Such a demanding customer = un cliente cosi esigente. English puts such before the adjective; Italian puts cosi after the noun and the indefinite article. If the emphasis is on the kind of noun rather than the degree of the adjective, switch to tale: such a customer (the kind we don’t want) = un tale cliente. Diagnostic: if the English sentence stresses how much, use cosi; if it stresses what kind, use tale.

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Riccardo
Milanese, graduated in Italian literature a long time ago, I began teaching Italian online in Japan back in 2003. I usually spend winter in Tokyo and go back to Italy when the cherry blossoms shed their petals. I do not use social media.

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