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I think

nessuno ha più fiducia in lui

can be translated as

nobody trusts him anymore

but also as

there is nobody that trusts him more (... than she does)

Is that correct? How can I distinguish between them?

Jonas Sourlier
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    The first traduction is correct, but I'm not sure to understand the second one and also could you please explain what do you need to distinguish exactly? – xKobalt Oct 21 '20 at 09:18

2 Answers2

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Both translations are correct. Although a more natural version of the second translation might be

No one trusts him more [than her]

As usual in these matters, the correct translation depends from context. Think about the English sentence I missed him, which can be translated in Italian as L'ho mancato [con un sasso] and Mi è mancato. How do you distinguish the two meanings in English?

The OP asks if I can give a small addendum that clarifies the meaning. I cannot think of something 100% foolproof but you can certainly nudge the interpretation one way or the other. For example

Ormai nessuno ha più fiducia in lui.

Suggests the translation No one trusts him anymore, since ormai implies a different status from the past. On the other hand

Nessuno ha più fiducia in lui di così

Means, literally, No one trusts him more than so, thus making it clear that it is a comparison.

Denis Nardin
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  • Makes sense. As for the "how to distinguish" question, I'd like to know if I can modify the Italian sentence to make it clear what I mean, without relying on context. Maybe there is a small addendum that makes the sentence unambiguous? (if possible, in both directions..) – Jonas Sourlier Oct 21 '20 at 12:26
  • Thank you Denis! – Jonas Sourlier Oct 22 '20 at 08:29
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It seems to me,

Nessuno ha più fiducia in lui di lei

might be translated as: no one trusts him more than they trust her, whereas

Nessuno ha più fiduci in lui che lei

would imply that no one trusts him more than she trusts him.

But it is a bit awkward.

Charlie
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