"He is one of my best friends."

Translation: Lui è uno dei miei migliori amici.

[Antny223]

Why dei here instead of di?

[sharkbbb]

Superlatives (such as "best") require a definite article in Italian, because without it they are just comparatives (such as "better"):

• migliori amici = better friends
• i migliori amici = (the) best friends

In this case dei is the equivalent of di+i.

[AnthonyJan4]

Also, it's a possessive, which requires a definitive article as well.

So, there are actually two reasons for the article.

[Phantomb]

I have the same question

[rydudecoolkid]

I'm a little fuzzy on when to use "un" and when to use "uno" on masculine singular nouns. Can someone give me a summary?

[sharkbbb]

When used alone it is always uno or una. When used before a noun phrase it changes similarly to the definite article:

• uno (masculine before s+consonant, gn, pn, ps, x, z, i+vowel, y+vowel)
• un (masculine before a vowel or another consonant)
• un' (feminine before a vowel)
• una (feminine before a consonant)

[MJavbp]

I don't understand this answer. In this sentence "uno" comes before the consonnant "d" So why is it uno and not un

[AnthonyJan4]

In this case, consider "uno" as standing by itself, separate from the noun phrase, as per sharkbbb's answer. Here, it's part of the phrase "one of" and not really attached to the noun itself.

[areeyz]

Why "dei" and not "di"

[sharkbbb]

See my answer to Antny223

[MB1010]

Its not an article here, its a pronoun - its used a bit like qualcuno

[carolfair]

what happened to adjectives follow the noun? miei amici migliori?

[JosephT.Madawela]

Why dei not di? Is it because it refers to a quantity where it could be one

[Norma212801]

It would be gli amici, not i amici, right? So why is it dei instead of degli? Thanks :-)

[CharlesPit19]

Norma, it is because it refers to 'migliori', not 'amici.'

[NajiAloref]

Can we use : amici migliori