People across the world are familiar with the informal Italian greeting Ciao! which can be used at the start of a conversation to greet someone, or at end of a conversation to sign off. The meaning is exactly the same as Hi! and Bye! in English. Ciao Enrica, come stai? Hi Enrica, how are you? Ciao Enrica, ci vediamo domani! Bye Enrica, see you … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase of the Week: Ciao ciao! (Bye bye!)
Ti amo vs Ti voglio bene: What’s the difference?
In English, the phrase I love you is extremely flexible. It can be used not only towards a lover or a person you're in love with, but also family members, your children and even really good friends. In Italian however, there are two different phrases that equate to I love you and learning how they differ is extremely important. 1) Ti amo 2) Ti voglio bene Ti amo is used towards … [Read more...] about Ti amo vs Ti voglio bene: What’s the difference?
Italian Word of the Day: Pecora (sheep)
The word pecora (feminine, plural: pecore) is the common name for all bovine mammals of the genus Ovis, comprising six wild species and numerous domestic breeds. It is also the specific term for the female adult sheep. IPA: /ˈpɛ.ko.ra/ The male is known as montone or ariete (ram) whereas the offspring is called agnello (lamb) up to one year of age. La pecora sta pascolando sulla … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Pecora (sheep)
Italian Word of the Day: Salsa (sauce)
The word salsa (feminine, plural: salse) in Italian is pretty easy to remember: just imagine yourself dancing to Salsa music while shaking a bottle of sauce! ;-) IPA: /ˈsal.sa/ It can trace its origin back to the Latin word salsus which means salty. Tante tipi di salse diverse = a lot of different kinds of sauces Below are some of the most popular sauces you'll find in … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Salsa (sauce)
Italian Word of the Day: Squalo (shark)
The word for shark in Italian is squalo (masculine, plural: squali) – not to be confused with the adjective squallido which means run-down or sleazy! Like great deal of Italian words, it finds its origins in Latin (squalus). IPA: /ˈskwa.lo/ Because squalo begins with s + consonant, it takes the indefinite article uno instead of un (a shark = uno squalo) and the definite article lo instead of … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Squalo (shark)
Italian Word of the Day: Morbido (soft)
The Italian word morbido may look and sound a lot like the English word morbid but don't be fooled: these two terms are actually false friends! IPA: /ˈmɔr.bi.do/ The correct translation for morbido is soft whereas morbid is morboso. What's interesting is that morbido and morbid can both be traced back to the same Latin root morbus (disease), yet somehow neither retained the original meaning. … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Morbido (soft)