rather
Piuttosto is an Italian adverb that can be used to express preference or comparison. It can be translated as 'rather' in English. For example, 'Preferisco piuttosto il caffè al tè' means 'I prefer coffee to tea'. It can also be used to express a degree of something, like 'È piuttosto caldo oggi' meaning 'It's rather hot today'.
I would prefer a tea rather than a coffee.
In this sentence, 'piuttosto' is used to express a preference between two items, 'a tea' and 'a coffee'. The choice highlighted as the preferred one is 'a tea'.
It's a rather complex problem.
In this instance, 'piuttosto' is used as an adverb modifying the adjective 'complex'. It gives depth to the complexity of the problem being discussed, suggesting that it's not just complex but 'rather' or 'somewhat' complex.
We are going rather slow.
Here, 'piuttosto' is used to indicate the degree of slowness, similar to the English word 'rather'. It implies that the speed at which 'we are going' is considered slower than expected or desired.