Heather Broster
In every language, it’s common to encounter phrases with multiple translations—sometimes far more than one might expect! The phrase “Don’t give up” is a prime example, with at least ten different translations in everyday use in Italian. Let’s take a moment to explore all the most popular ones in this article! 1. Non ti arrendere! …
I was inspired to share the word pista with you today because my son, who is currently obsessed with ferrovie (railways), has developed a keen interest in building tracks for his toy trains. As you can imagine, this word comes up in conversation at least fifty times a day! pista track / trail According to …
October—known as ottobre in Italian—has always been one of my favourite months. Perhaps it’s because autunno (autumn) is in full swing, with colourful leaves falling from the trees and a crisp breeze in the air that invites you to cozy up in your warmest maglione (sweater) and pantofole (slippers). ottobre October Ottobre is the tenth …
At some point in our lives, we all end up blaming or criticising ourselves for something we have done, or perhaps should have done. In Italian, there is a very suitable idiomatic expression you can use to express this sentiment: mangiarsi le mani. mangiarsi le mani Mangiarsi le mani literally translates to “to eat one’s …
Recently my son has taken a keen interest in tongue-twisters, especially those that his dear old mum has trouble saying. A tongue-twister in Italian is known as a scioglilingua, which is the combination of the verb sciogliere (to melt) and the noun lingua (tongue). scioglilingua tongue-twister Scioglilingua is an invariable noun, so it’s form doesn’t …
Some words perfectly capture the essence of the concept they describe, and the Italian adjective mogio is a great example. It can be translated as despondent, dispirited, or dejected, among other terms. mogio despondent / dispirited / dejected Mogio most likely derives from the Venetian mògio (wet) which, in turn, comes from the Latin mollior, …