🔍 In short. When Italian writing turns formal, a small family of words takes over the job of pointing back to something already mentioned, or forward to something coming next. Suddetto means “aforementioned”, predetto means “aforesaid”, sopraddetto and sopra menzionato mean “above-mentioned”, sottoindicato means “indicated below”, soprascritto means “written above”, di cui sopra means “mentioned above”, and come specificato sopra means “as specified above”. They live in contracts, notary deeds, legal letters, academic papers and official emails. This B2 guide for italian suddetto predetto covers what each one really means, when to use them, when they sound stuffy, and how to read them without panic when a notary hands you a document.
You will not say italian suddetto predetto phrasing at the bar. You will read it the first time you sign a rental contract in Italy, the first time you receive a letter from a lawyer, the first time you open a university transcript. Learn the eight words below and the wall of formal Italian becomes a door.
Cosa impareremo oggi
👆🏻 Jump to section
- What these formal reference words do
- Suddetto: the everyday workhorse
- Predetto and sopraddetto: the legal cousins
- Sopra and sotto: pointing up and down the page
- Di cui sopra and come specificato sopra: the flexible phrases
- How they agree with the noun
- Cheat sheet: italian suddetto predetto and the 8 reference words
- When they sound stuffy and what to use instead
- Dialog: at the notary office in Genova
- Three common mistakes
- Frequently asked questions
- Related guides
What these formal reference words do
Imagine you are writing a contract two pages long. On page two you need to refer back to the apartment described on page one. In a chat with a friend you would say l’appartamento di cui ti ho parlato prima. In a contract that is too loose. You need a single word that says “the one already named”. Italian uses a small family of formal words for this job. The main word is suddetto (literally “said-above”), with its near-twin predetto (literally “said-before”) and a wider circle of partners. They all share the same italian suddetto predetto logic: a quick, official label that points to a piece of the document already written, or about to be written.
This is not optional vocabulary for someone at B2. You will meet italian suddetto predetto the moment you rent a flat, open a bank account, sign a school enrolment for a child, request a tax certificate, or read an academic paper. The good news: the family is small (about eight common members), the grammar is regular, and once you see the pattern, the wall of formality drops. The italian suddetto predetto pattern repays a single careful read.
Suddetto: the everyday workhorse
Suddetto is the most common of these words. It combines su (above) and detto (said) and translates as “aforementioned” or “above-said”. It acts as an adjective placed before the noun and agreeing with it in gender and number: suddetto, suddetta, suddetti, suddette. The formal flavour of italian suddetto predetto is unmistakable, but inside its tone it is neutral. A rental contract reading italian suddetto predetto, a tax letter, a school regulation, a doctoral thesis: you will read it in all of them without surprise.
- Il suddetto immobile è situato in via Balbi, civico 14.
The aforementioned property is located at via Balbi, number 14. - La suddetta clausola entra in vigore dalla data della firma.
The aforementioned clause takes effect from the date of signature. - I suddetti documenti devono essere allegati alla domanda.
The aforementioned documents must be attached to the application. - Le suddette parti dichiarano di aver letto e accettato.
The aforementioned parties declare that they have read and accepted.
Two practical notes. First, suddetto can stand alone as a noun when the context is clear: al suddetto compete la qualifica di dottore means “the aforementioned person holds the title of dottore”. The word carries the noun inside it. Second, you will also find the variant sopradetto (one word, no double d) in older documents; modern usage prefers sopraddetto or suddetto.
🔍 One word, four endings. Suddetto behaves like any normal adjective: it agrees with the noun. Il suddetto contratto, la suddetta clausola, i suddetti articoli, le suddette parti. Get the italian suddetto predetto agreement wrong and your formal Italian sounds like a draft. Italian readers notice this faster than they notice a typo.
Predetto and sopraddetto: the legal cousins
Predetto (“aforesaid”) is the legal sibling of suddetto. The meaning is almost identical, but the home territory is narrower: deeds, notary acts, court rulings, formal company documents. Read an Italian lease and you will see the italian suddetto predetto pair: both suddetto and predetto on the same page, with no clear semantic split. The pattern in practice: suddetto is the default; predetto shows up when the writer wants an extra layer of formality, often to avoid repeating suddetto within the same paragraph.
- La predetta società ha sede legale a Genova.
The aforesaid company has its registered office in Genova. - Il predetto ammontare comprende le spese notarili.
The aforesaid amount includes the notary fees. - Le predette norme si applicano a tutti gli iscritti.
The aforesaid rules apply to all enrolled members.
Sopraddetto (or its variant sopradetto) is a third member of the family, with the same meaning of “above-mentioned” and the same agreement pattern. Today it is less common than suddetto, but you will still meet it in older documents, in academic writing, and in regional or notarial usage where the writer wants a more transparent word: sopra (above) is visible on the surface, so the reader sees the direction immediately.
- La sopraddetta clausola non si applica al presente caso.
The above-mentioned clause does not apply to the present case. - I sopraddetti termini decorrono dalla data di pubblicazione.
The above-mentioned deadlines start from the publication date.
One more useful word in this same neighbourhood: sopra menzionato (two words, or sometimes one), often shortened to menzionato alone in academic writing. It points back to something already discussed and reads more naturally in essays and reports than suddetto does. L’articolo sopra menzionato means “the article mentioned above” and would fit comfortably in a thesis chapter.
Sopra and sotto: pointing up and down the page
So far every word has pointed backward, to something already written. But formal Italian also needs a way to point forward, to something the reader is about to see. The standard italian suddetto predetto word for forward direction is sottoindicato (“indicated below”), which behaves exactly like suddetto but in the opposite direction. You will read it in forms, in instruction sheets, in contracts with attached annexes, and in any document that announces a list still to come.
- I dati sottoindicati devono essere verificati prima della firma.
The data indicated below must be checked before signing. - Si prega di compilare i campi sottoindicati con attenzione.
Please fill in the fields indicated below carefully. - La somma sottoindicata corrisponde al saldo finale.
The amount indicated below corresponds to the final balance.
In the italian suddetto predetto group you will also see the variant sotto indicato written as two words; both spellings are accepted, though one-word sottoindicato is the safer choice in formal writing. A parallel pair exists for “above”: sopraindicato (above-indicated) and the very formal soprascritto (literally “written above”). Soprascritto is the most archaic of the family, alive mostly in notarial language and in older administrative documents.
- Il soprascritto signor Cesaroni si impegna a versare l’acconto.
The above-written Mr Cesaroni undertakes to pay the deposit. - La somma soprascritta è già stata accreditata.
The above-written sum has already been credited.
If soprascritto sounds like something from a nineteenth-century deed, that is because it often is. Most modern writers reach for suddetto instead. Still, if you read enough Italian contracts, you will meet soprascritto at least once, and recognising it saves you a confused minute with a dictionary.
🎯 Mini-task #1. Pick the right word for each blank: suddetto, predetto, sottoindicato, soprascritto. Adjust the ending.
- Il _________ contratto ha validità di cinque anni. (the aforementioned contract)
- I dati _________ devono essere completi prima dell’invio. (the data indicated below)
- La _________ società ha la sede a Torino. (the aforesaid company)
- Le clausole _________ vanno firmate in calce. (the aforementioned clauses)
- Il _________ signor Marini riconosce il pagamento. (the above-written Mr Marini)
👉 Show answers
1. suddetto contratto · 2. sottoindicati · 3. predetta società · 4. clausole suddette · 5. soprascritto signor Marini
Di cui sopra and come specificato sopra: the flexible phrases
Single words are not the only italian suddetto predetto tool. Italian also relies on two short phrases that do the same pointing job with a softer touch. The first is di cui sopra, literally “of which above”, which works as a flexible tag attached to any noun: il punto di cui sopra, l’articolo di cui sopra, la persona di cui sopra. This italian suddetto predetto phrase is a touch lighter than suddetto and travels well outside strict legal writing. You will read it in business emails, in academic articles, in summary minutes of a meeting.
- Il punto di cui sopra richiede ulteriori chiarimenti.
The point mentioned above requires further clarification. - L’articolo di cui sopra regola la garanzia di due anni.
The article mentioned above governs the two-year warranty. - La persona di cui sopra è autorizzata a ritirare il pacco.
The person mentioned above is authorised to collect the parcel.
The second flexible italian suddetto predetto phrase is come specificato sopra (“as specified above”), with sister forms come indicato sopra, come detto sopra, come visto sopra. These are full clauses rather than single tags, and they work as smooth transitions between paragraphs. They appear in textbooks, reports, instruction manuals, and academic essays at every level. Of all the family of italian suddetto predetto, these phrases are the ones most likely to feel useful in a B2 essay or in a polished work email.
- Come specificato sopra, il pagamento avviene in due tranche.
As specified above, the payment is made in two instalments. - Come indicato sopra, gli orari di apertura cambiano in agosto.
As indicated above, the opening hours change in August. - Come visto sopra, la regola ammette due eccezioni.
As seen above, the rule allows two exceptions.
A handy italian suddetto predetto mirror exists for the forward direction too: come specificato di seguito (“as specified below”), come indicato sotto, come vedremo. These let you preview a topic without using sottoindicato, which can feel dry. The softer side of italian suddetto predetto serves textbooks better. A textbook chapter, for example, opens far better with come vedremo nella sezione seguente than with nei paragrafi sottoindicati.
How they agree with the noun
Five of the eight italian suddetto predetto words behave as adjectives and agree in gender and number with the noun: suddetto, sopraddetto, sopra menzionato, predetto, sottoindicato, soprascritto. The agreement is regular. Il suddetto contratto (masc. sing.), la suddetta clausola (fem. sing.), i suddetti articoli (masc. pl.), le suddette parti (fem. pl.). No surprises, no irregular forms.
- Il sottoscritto Marco Cesaroni dichiara di aver ricevuto la copia.
The undersigned Marco Cesaroni declares having received the copy. - La sottoscritta Federica Marini autorizza la pubblicazione.
The undersigned Federica Marini authorises the publication. - I sottoscritti coniugi Cesaroni accettano le condizioni.
The undersigned Cesaroni spouses accept the conditions.
Two of the eight italian suddetto predetto words do not agree, because they are not adjectives. Di cui sopra and come specificato sopra are fixed phrases. They sit beside the noun or open a sentence and never change shape. Il punto di cui sopra, gli articoli di cui sopra, la clausola di cui sopra, le norme di cui sopra: the phrase stays identical. This is one of the reasons learners love them. No ending to remember, just one fixed italian suddetto predetto tool.
One more italian suddetto predetto agreement note. When these words stand in for the noun (the bare-noun use), the agreement still shows in the article: il suddetto (the aforementioned man), la suddetta (the aforementioned woman), i suddetti (the aforementioned people, masc.), le suddette (the aforementioned women). A formal letter using italian suddetto predetto and saying i suddetti hanno firmato means “the persons named above have signed”. The noun is absent, the gender visible from the article.
Cheat sheet: italian suddetto predetto and the 8 reference words
One italian suddetto predetto cheat sheet: eight words, three columns. Use this italian suddetto predetto reference the next time you read a formal Italian document.
| Italian word | English | Direction · tone · example |
|---|---|---|
| suddetto | aforementioned | back · high formal · il suddetto contratto |
| sopraddetto / sopradetto | above-mentioned | back · high formal (a touch dated) · la sopraddetta clausola |
| sopra menzionato | above-mentioned | back · formal but readable · l’articolo sopra menzionato |
| predetto | aforesaid | back · high formal (legal flavour) · la predetta società |
| soprascritto | above-written | back · very formal, near-archaic · il soprascritto signor Rossi |
| di cui sopra | mentioned above | back · formal but flexible · il punto di cui sopra |
| come specificato sopra | as specified above | back · formal-neutral, essay friendly · come specificato sopra, … |
| sottoindicato | indicated below | forward · high formal · i dati sottoindicati |
A quick italian suddetto predetto reading rule for B2 learners: if you see one of these eight words, the document is officially formal. That tells you what to expect in the rest of the page: long sentences, no contractions, no slang, courteous closings like distinti saluti. The word is also a small signal to slow down. Each suddetto points back somewhere, and the writer is asking you to remember exactly where.
When they sound stuffy and what to use instead
The same italian suddetto predetto words that read perfectly inside a contract can sound ridiculous in a casual email to a friend. Ti rimando al ristorante suddetto in a WhatsApp to your colleague Lorenzo about lunch is not formal Italian, it is comedy. The Treccani dictionary lists suddetto, anzidetto, citato, succitato, sottoscritto as words “characteristic of bureaucratic language or formal written Italian”. Step outside that tone and they jar.
Three softer alternatives to italian suddetto predetto cover most non-legal needs. For semi-formal emails and business correspondence, sopra menzionato, di cui sopra and come specificato sopra read naturally. For neutral writing, you can simply repeat the noun (il contratto, l’articolo, la persona) with the regular demonstrative quello: quel contratto, quell’articolo, quella persona. For everyday speech, ordinary demonstratives plus a reminder of which item you mean carry the day: quel contratto di cui ti parlavo, l’articolo che abbiamo letto. Treccani’s grammar makes the point cleanly: outside formal writing, ordinary demonstratives and personal pronouns are far more common.
- Formal contract: Il suddetto immobile è situato in via Balbi.
- Business email: L’immobile sopra menzionato è situato in via Balbi.
- Internal note: L’immobile di cui sopra è in via Balbi.
- Friendly chat: Quell’appartamento che ti dicevo è in via Balbi.
Each step down the italian suddetto predetto ladder sounds more human. The skill at B2 is not to use suddetto everywhere, but to recognise it in formal texts and to pick the right rung for your own writing.
Dialog: at the notary office in Genova
Marco Cesaroni is buying his first apartment in Genova, in the centro storico near via Balbi. He arrives at the office of avvocato Federica Marini to review the preliminary contract before the notary appointment. Listen for italian suddetto predetto in action, and for how the lawyer translates them into plain Italian for the client.
👩🏼🦰 Avv. Marini: Buongiorno, signor Cesaroni. Si accomodi. Le ho preparato il preliminare. Glielo leggo ad alta voce, così se qualcosa non è chiaro mi ferma.
👨🏽🦱 Sig. Cesaroni: Volentieri. Sa, è la prima volta. Mi spaventano un po’ tutte queste parole formali.
👩🏼🦰 Avv. Marini: Glielo dico subito: la metà di quello che leggerà oggi sono parole tecniche per non ripetere ogni volta gli stessi nomi. Per esempio, qui scrive: «Il suddetto immobile è situato in via Balbi, civico 14». Il suddetto significa «quello detto prima», cioè l’appartamento che abbiamo descritto nella riga sopra.
👨🏽🦱 Sig. Cesaroni: Ah, capisco. Quindi è solo un modo per non ripetere «l’appartamento»?
👩🏼🦰 Avv. Marini: Esatto. Più avanti vedrà anche «la predetta società», che è la società che ha venduto, già nominata nella prima pagina. Sono sinonimi: cambiamo parola solo per non essere monotoni.
👨🏽🦱 Sig. Cesaroni: E qui, dove dice «i dati sottoindicati»? Sotto a cosa?
👩🏼🦰 Avv. Marini: Sotto alla riga in cui siamo. Vuol dire che subito dopo, in una tabella, troverà il suo nome, la data, il codice fiscale. Sottoindicato è il contrario di suddetto: punta in avanti, non indietro.
👨🏽🦱 Sig. Cesaroni: E «il sottoscritto»? Sono io?
👩🏼🦰 Avv. Marini: È lei, sì. Quando firmerà in fondo alla pagina, diventa il sottoscritto: «colui che ha scritto sotto», cioè ha firmato in calce. Mia moglie, se firmasse insieme, sarebbe «la sottoscritta».
👨🏽🦱 Sig. Cesaroni: Adesso comincio a vedere il sistema. Sono come delle frecce nel testo.
👩🏼🦰 Avv. Marini: Bell’immagine. Frecce che indicano «già detto prima» o «scritto qui sotto». Una volta riconosciute, il contratto si legge molto più velocemente. Vuole che continuiamo dall’articolo 3, dove parla del pagamento?
👨🏽🦱 Sig. Cesaroni: Sì, grazie. Come specificato sopra, ho già versato la caparra.
👩🏼🦰 Avv. Marini: Vede che ha già imparato? «Come specificato sopra»: l’ha usato in modo perfetto.
Count the reference words in the dialogue: il suddetto immobile, la predetta società, i dati sottoindicati, il sottoscritto, la sottoscritta, come specificato sopra. In ten lines avvocato Marini covered most of the italian suddetto predetto family by reading a single contract aloud. That is exactly how a B2 learner first meets the italian suddetto predetto family. They meet italian suddetto predetto in real life: not in a grammar book, but in someone’s office, with a coffee getting cold on the desk.
Three common mistakes
Three slips with italian suddetto predetto flag a formal Italian sentence as written by a learner. All three are quick to fix.
Mistake 1. Skipping the agreement on italian suddetto predetto words. Wrong: la suddetto clausola, i suddetto articoli. Correct: la suddetta clausola, i suddetti articoli. Suddetto takes the same four endings as any -o adjective. The mismatch is the most common slip, and the easiest for an Italian reader to spot.
Mistake 2. Using italian suddetto predetto vocabulary in casual writing. Wrong in an email to a friend: Hai visto il film suddetto?. Correct: Hai visto quel film? or Hai visto il film di cui ti parlavo?. Suddetto in friendly contexts sounds either pompous or unintentionally funny.
Mistake 3. Mixing italian suddetto predetto directions. Wrong: i dati suddetti when the data are still to come below. Correct: i dati sottoindicati, or i dati indicati di seguito. Backward and forward italian suddetto predetto words split cleanly: suddetto, sopraddetto, predetto, di cui sopra point back; sottoindicato, di cui sotto, di seguito point forward.
🎯 Mini-task #2. Spot and fix the mistake in each sentence.
- La suddetto clausola entra in vigore domani.
- Ti rimando al ristorante suddetto, ci vediamo lì alle otto.
- I dati suddetti si trovano nella tabella qui sotto, sotto al testo.
- Il predetto contratti scadono in dicembre.
- Come specificato sotto, il pagamento è già stato fatto. (referring to a previous paragraph)
👉 Show answers
1. La suddetta clausola (agreement, fem. sing.) · 2. Ti rimando al ristorante di cui ti dicevo / quel ristorante (suddetto is too formal for a friendly message) · 3. I dati sottoindicati (forward direction, not suddetti) · 4. I predetti contratti scadono (agreement + plural verb) · 5. Come specificato sopra (sopra points back, sotto points forward)
Test your understanding
Take the italian suddetto predetto quiz below to test what you’ve learned about italian suddetto predetto and the rest of the formal reference family.
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Frequently asked questions
Six questions about italian suddetto predetto formal reference words and the wider family come up in every B2 group that tackles formal Italian. The institutional reference for these words is the Treccani entry on suddetto.
Is suddetto still used in modern Italian?
Yes, suddetto is alive and well in formal written Italian. You will read it in contracts, notary deeds, official letters, academic articles, and administrative documents. Treccani lists it together with anzidetto, citato, succitato and sottoscritto as a standard word of bureaucratic and formal written Italian. What changed is the tone: nobody says suddetto over coffee. In friendly conversation Italians use ordinary demonstratives like quello, quella, or simply repeat the noun. The word still earns its place every time a writer needs a precise back-reference inside a long formal text.
What is the difference between suddetto and predetto?
The meaning is almost identical: both mean aforementioned or aforesaid. The difference is tone and territory. Suddetto is the everyday workhorse of formal Italian and shows up across contracts, official letters, school regulations, theses. Predetto carries a stronger legal flavour and is more common in notary deeds, court rulings, and formal company documents. Many writers use both on the same page to avoid repeating one word too often. If you are unsure which to pick in your own writing, default to suddetto: it fits more contexts.
Can I use di cui sopra instead of suddetto?
Yes, and often it is the better choice. Di cui sopra is a fixed phrase that means mentioned above and works as a flexible tag attached to any noun: il punto di cui sopra, l’articolo di cui sopra, la persona di cui sopra. It is a touch lighter than suddetto and travels well outside strict legal writing. In a business email, an academic paragraph, or a summary of minutes, di cui sopra reads more natural. Both options are correct, but di cui sopra is friendlier without losing formality.
Does suddetto agree in gender and number with the noun?
Yes. Suddetto behaves like any regular -o adjective and takes four endings: suddetto (masc. sing.), suddetta (fem. sing.), suddetti (masc. pl.), suddette (fem. pl.). Il suddetto contratto, la suddetta clausola, i suddetti articoli, le suddette parti. The same pattern applies to predetto, sopraddetto, sottoindicato, soprascritto. Two members of the family are exceptions: di cui sopra and come specificato sopra are fixed phrases and never change shape. They sit beside the noun unchanged for all genders and numbers.
Is sottoindicato one word or two?
Both spellings exist. Sottoindicato written as one word is the standard form in modern formal Italian and is the safer choice for contracts, official forms, and administrative documents. The two-word form sotto indicato is also accepted and you will read it in older or less standardised texts. The same pattern applies to sopraindicato and sopra indicato. When in doubt, write one word. The adverbs sopra and sotto bind tightly with verbs like indicato, scritto, menzionato, descritto in this formal tone, and the one-word form reflects that bond on the page.
Are these words too formal for a business email?
Some are, some are not. Suddetto, predetto, sopraddetto, soprascritto and sottoindicato sound stiff in an email between colleagues and very out of place in a friendly message. The three softer members of the family fit business correspondence well: sopra menzionato, di cui sopra, and come specificato sopra. They keep a polite tone without the bureaucratic edge. For an internal note or a quick update to a colleague, ordinary demonstratives (quello, quella) plus a short reminder of which item you mean are usually the best option.
Is suddetto still used in modern Italian?
What is the difference between suddetto and predetto?
Can I use di cui sopra instead of suddetto?
Does suddetto agree in gender and number with the noun?
Is sottoindicato one word or two?
Are these words too formal for a business email?
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Related guides
Three guides that pair with italian suddetto predetto formal reference vocabulary and the formal reference family, plus the institutional Treccani entry.
- Italian Voi for One Person: The Southern Polite Form: another corner of formal address.
- Italian Stesso vs Uguale: ‘Same’ or ‘Equal’?: the everyday reference word that pairs with suddetto in formal writing.
- Italian Modal Verbs: Dovere, Potere, Volere, Sapere: vorrei, potrebbe and other formal politeness tools.
- Treccani: voce suddetto: institutional dictionary entry.
