Italian Word of the Day: Agio (ease / comfort)

As you immerse yourself in Italian life, agio is a term you’ll quickly come to appreciate. After all, who doesn’t relish a life of ease and comfort? agio ease / comfort Agio is derived from the Provençal aize meaning proximity and the Late Latin adiăcens meaning near or comfortable. Being a masculine noun beginning with …

Read more

10 Ways to Say “Don’t give up!” in Italian

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! …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Pista (track / trail)

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 …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Ottobre (October)

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 …

Read more

Italian Idiom: Mangiarsi le mani (to kick oneself)

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 …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Scioglilingua (tongue-twister)

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 …

Read more