Italian Word of the Day: Ruzzolone (tumble / hard fall)

A fun Italian word that sounds just like its meaning is ruzzolone (masculine, plural: ruzzoloni), which translates as a tumble or hard fall in English. It derives from the verb ruzzolare (to tumble / to roll) which can ultimately be traced back to the Latin word rota meaning wheel. To take a tumble translates as …

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Italian Phrase: Ho sete! (I’m thirsty!)

Last year, we covered how to say “I’m hungry!” in Italian, so today we’re going to look at what to say when you’re feeling a little (or very) parched! Ho sete! I’m thirsty! Let’s break the phrase down into its component parts: ho The first person singular conjugation of avere (to have). Note that Italians …

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Italian Word of the Day: Allarme (alarm / alert)

The word for alarm in Italian is allarme (masculine, plural: allarmi). It derives from the military expression All’arme! (To arms!) which was, and still is, a command to soldiers to take up their weapons and be ready to fight. Arme was the ancient plural of arma (weapon) but it has since been replaced by armi. …

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20 Italian Phrases & Quotes about Life (with English Translations)

Life – or la vita in Italian – is a rollercoaster filled with incredible highs and devastating lows. Unfortunately there isn’t a single handbook to help us navigate all of life’s ups and downs but that is exactly what makes it such an adventure! Below you’ll find a collection of twenty of our favourite inspirational, …

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Italian Word of the Day: Rottame (wreck / piece of junk)

Ever since we began feeling the first aches and pains of age, my husband and I have jokingly started calling each other rottame (masculine, plural: rottami). It derives from rotto, the past participle of the verb rompere (to break), and the suffix -ame whose purpose is to form collective nouns from simple nouns, often with …

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Italian Word of the Day: Al di là (on the other side / beyond)

Al di là is an adverbial phrase that translates as on the other side or beyond. It is made up of the following components: Al di là c’era il deserto, immenso e dominato da dune enormi. Beyond lay the desert, immense and dominated by enormous dunes. When used as a preposition, it translates as on …

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