How to Say “Grandpa / Grandfather” in Italian – Nonno

We already covered how to say “grandma” (nonna) in a previous article, so now it’s time to talk about the other half of the grandparent team! The most common way to say grandpa or grandfather in Italian is nonno (plural: nonni which can mean either grandpas or grandparents). Your paternal grandfather is your nonno paterno …

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Italian Word of the Day: Essere (to be)

One of the first verbs all serious learners must master in Italian is essere which is the infinitive verb for to be or to exist. Because it is an irregular verb, it isn’t as easy to conjugate as regular -are, -ire and -ere verbs such as mangiare (to eat), venire (to come), and vedere (to …

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Italian Phrase of the Week: Mi raccomando!

Mi raccomando is one of those wonderfully Italian phrases that cannot easily be translated into English because there isn’t an exact equivalent. It comes from the verb raccomandare which translates to recommend or to entrust but by making it reflexive (raccomandarsi) it becomes to plead with, to beg or to implore. Mi sono raccomandato tanto …

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Super Spooky Halloween Words in Italian

When I first moved to Italy back in 2008, one of the biggest culture shocks I experienced was the general apathy towards Halloween. I originally come from Canada, a country that like the USA enjoys celebrating Halloween as much as Christmas and Easter, so it was a surprise to see October 31st come and go …

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Italian Word of the Day: Sognare (to dream)

A dream is an involuntary succession of random images, emotions, and sensations that normally occur during the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep when brain activity is at its highest. Sometimes you might wake up from a deep sleep and remember every detail of your dream, whereas other times, they fade from memory as …

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Italian Word of the Day: Pennichella (nap)

cover image with the word “pennichella” and a boy napping on a bench in the background

If you’re just wiping the last crumbs from your mouth following a wholesome Italian meal, you may feel the need for what the Italians call a pennichella! Pennichella is a feminine noun and takes the following articles: la pennichellathe napuna pennichellaa nap le pennichellethe napsdelle pennichelle(some) naps Pennichella is one of the most common words …

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