The word faticoso in Italian, which translates as tiring or strenuous, comes from the verb faticare which is how you would say to labour or to struggle. It shares the same origin as the word fatigue in English. IPA: /fa·ti·có·so/ Because it is an adjective, the ending changes depending on whether you are talking about a masculine, feminine, singular or plural subject. faticoso (masculine, … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Faticoso (tiring)
Italian Word of the Day: Asciugamano (towel)
Whenever you have a shower, jump in the bath or visit the beach, one thing you should never forget is your trusty asciugamano (masculine, plural: asciugamani), which is the Italian word for towel. IPA: /aʃ.ʃu.ɡaˈma.no/ A compound word made up of the verb asciugare (to dry) and mano (hand), it literally translates as hand-dryer! Mi sono asciugato le mani con l'asciugamano. I dried my … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Asciugamano (towel)
Italian Phrase of the Week: Lavati le mani! (Wash your hands!)
Something all parents must teach their kids as they grow up is the importance of washing one's hands, which translates as lavarsi le mani in Italian. This clause is made up of three parts: lavarsi (reflexive verb 'to wash oneself') + le (definite article 'the') + mani ('hands') Below you can see the straightforward conjugation of lavarsi le mani in the present tense for all the various … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase of the Week: Lavati le mani! (Wash your hands!)
Italian Word of the Day: Coraggio (courage)
The word for courage or bravery in Italian is coraggio. It comes from the Latin cor meaning heart. IPA: /co·ràg·gio/ If you are facing an intimidating situation, you may want to find ways to pluck up your courage, which in Italian translates as farsi coraggio or trovare il coraggio. È nei momenti più difficili che bisogna farsi coraggio e andare avanti. It's in the most difficult … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Coraggio (courage)
Italian Word of the Day: Libro (book)
The word for book in Italian is libro (masculine, plural: libri), which comes from the Latin word liber. If you find it hard to remember, just think of the English word library! IPA: /ˈlib.ro/ Before the Latin word came to mean book, it indicated the inner bark of some plants which, when dried, was used as a writing material in ancient times. Ho letto l'intero libro in una seduta. I … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Libro (book)
Italian Phrase of the Week: Siamo con voi! (We are with you!)
In these times of hardship, people around the world are searching for ways to show solidarity with Italy on social media. In English, the hashtag #WeStandWithItaly has gone viral, but so has its Italian equivalent #SiamoConVoi (siamo con voi) which translates as We are with you. Since many of you are probably unfamiliar with Italian grammar, let's take a moment to break this phrase down … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase of the Week: Siamo con voi! (We are with you!)