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Diminuire vs. ridurre vs. abbassare

Word practice demo
The Italian words diminuire, ridurre, and abbassare all convey the general idea of decreasing or lowering, but they have subtle differences in usage and context.

Diminuire

B2
Diminuire means to decrease or diminish, often used for gradual reductions or abstract concepts.
Le vendite sono diminuite del 10% quest'anno.
(Sales have decreased by 10% this year.)
Con l'età, la sua vista ha cominciato a diminuire.
(With age, his eyesight began to diminish.)

Ridurre

B1
Ridurre means to reduce or cut down, often used for significant or intentional reductions.
L'azienda ha deciso di ridurre il personale.
(The company decided to reduce the staff.)
Devi ridurre le spese per risparmiare di più.
(You need to cut down expenses to save more.)

Abbassare

A2
Abbassare means to lower or bring down, typically used for physical actions or measurable quantities.
Per favore, puoi abbassare il volume della TV?
(Can you please lower the volume of the TV?)
Il governo ha deciso di abbassare le tasse.
(The government decided to lower taxes.)

Summary

While diminuire is often used for gradual or natural decreases, ridurre implies more significant or deliberate reductions, and abbassare is typically used for physical lowering or decreasing measurable quantities. The choice between these words depends on the specific context and the nature of the decrease being described.