Italian Word of the Day: Solletico (tickle)

The Italian word for tickle is solletico (masculine, plural: solletichi). It normally appears in the expressions fare il solletico (to tickle, or literally, “to do the tickle”) and soffrire il solletico (to be ticklish, or literally, “to suffer from the tickle”). A synonym for fare il solletico is the verb solleticare. If you are going …

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How to Say “Good Morning!” in Italian: 5 Different Ways

If you are planning to travel to Italy, it is a good idea to learn the language, even if it is just a few basic phrases to help you navigate day-to-day life. One of the best places to start is with greetings, such as learning how to say Good morning! in Italian. Note: In Italian, …

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Pronunciation Guide: How to pronounce “Calzone” in Italian

A calzone is a speciality pizza, originating from Naples and Puglia, that is folded in half before being baked in the oven or fried. Each region in Italy has its own distinct variation, but popular fillings include mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta, pecorino, ham, salami, vegetables and tomato sauce. Origin of the word: The word calzone was …

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Italian Word of the Day: Tempo (weather)

The Italian word for weather is tempo (masculine, plural: tempi). It comes from the Latin tempus meaning time – and yes, before you say anything, we are fully aware that tempo is also the word for time in Italian. However, we won’t be covering this definition here, as it deserves a blog post all of …

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Italian Word of the Day: Lentamente (slowly)

In order to say slowly in Italian, all you have to do is take the feminine singular form of the adjective lento (slow) and add on the suffix -mente (which means -ly) to produce the adverb lentamente. Cammino lentamente perché mi fa male la gamba. I’m walking slowly because my leg hurts. An adverb that …

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