Heather Broster
When we cannot recall or do not know the name of a person or thing in English, we tend to substitute the name with funny-sounding words such as thingy, thingumabob, thingamajig, or whatchamacallit. In Italian, the corresponding term is coso (masculine, plural: cosi), a derivative of the word cosa (thing / object / matter). It …
One of the most enjoyable and effective ways of learning new words and expressions in Italian is to familiarise yourself with all the best canzoni (feminine, singular: canzone). The word canzone (song) comes from the verb cantare which means to sing. Some other related terms include the diminutive canzoncina (a cute or simple song), canto …
The word for intelligent or smart in Italian is intelligente. Both the Italian and English can be traced back to the Latin intelligent- which means understanding. Intelligente is the singular form of the adjective and may be used to describe both masculine and feminine subjects, whereas the plural form is intelligenti. Carlo è un bambino …
As children, many of us are fascinated with the process by which a bruco (masculine, plural: bruchi) – the Italian word for caterpillar – turns into a butterfly (farfalla). The story begins with a caterpillar hatching from an egg (uovo). The caterpillar then stuffs itself with leaves, growing fatter and longer until one day, it …
There are four main ways to translate the Italian adverb presto into English: early and soon, which are the most common translations, and quick and easy. Let’s take a look at each translation now! Presto = Early One of the most common translations of presto is early. The opposite of the adverb tardi (late), it …
If you’ve been learning Italian for a while now, you may already be familiar with the classic greeting Buonasera! which is how you say Good evening! in a formal context. Buonasera signore. Come sta? Good evening sir. How are you? If you want to explicitly wish someone a good evening however, it is necessary to …