Italian Word of the Day: Corteccia (bark)

Italian word "corteccia"

The word for the bark that covers a tree is corteccia. The word originates from the Latin corticĕa, the feminine form of the adjective corticĕus, derived from cortex -tĭcis, meaning bark. corteccia bark Here are the definite and indefinite articles you should use with this feminine noun. Note that in its plural form, cortecce, the …

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Italian Word of the Day: Chiamare (to call)

Italian verb "chiamare"

Today we are going to investigate a beginner verb that every learner should master from day one – chiamare – which means to call. chiamare to call Chiamare is a regular -ARE verb, which means that it should be conjugated in the following manner in the present tense: io chiamo = I calltu chiami = …

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Italian Word of the Day: Rubinetto (tap / faucet)

One of my favourite Italian words actually refers to a rather banal household object that we use multiple times throughout the day: the humble rubinetto, which is known as a tap in the UK, a faucet in the US, or a spigot in technical terms. rubinetto tap / faucet The etymology of this word is …

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Italian Idiom: Ammazzare il tempo (to kill time)

Italian idiom "ammazzare il tempo"

Today we are investigating an idiomatic expression with an exact English equivalent, just to make life a little easier on you! The idiom is ammazzare il tempo, which literally means to kill time. ammazzare il tempo to kill time Ammazzare is a verb in Italian that signifies to kill or murder. While uccidere is a …

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Italian Word of the Day: Piatto (flat / plate / dish)

Today we are going to be looking at a useful everyday word that can be classified as both an adjective and a noun: piatto. piatto flat / plate / dish ‘Piatto’ the adjective Used as an adjective, this word translates to flat or level. It is derived from the Latin *plattum, which in turn comes …

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Italian Word of the Day: Nascondere (to hide / conceal)

Whenever my mom and I take my son to school, he enjoys playing hide-and-seek behind the walls and buildings that line the streets, adding a bit of excitement to our daily stroll! His penchant for this game inspired me to write about the word nascondere, which translates to to hide. nascondere to hide The word …

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