Heather Broster
Dogs pop up in the Italian language more often than you’d think. Whether it’s to complain, insult, or just add a bit of dramatic flair, we love a good dog reference when we want to be particularly expressive. So, in this article I’m sharing 17 of the most colorful, quirky, and occasionally confusing Italian idioms …
Today we are going to focus on a verb that, in many ways, forms the backbone of the Italian language along with other important verbs like fare (to do/make), avere (to have) and essere (to be). That verb is dare (to give), and you can hear how it’s pronounced below: dare to give Dare may …
Imagine that your best friend was dumped by his partner a year ago, and despite the passage of time, continues to brood over the break-up. You might be tempted to tell him to come to terms with the separation, or resign himself to the situation, however unpleasant or painful. In Italian, you can use the …
A phrase we should all embrace when watching sports, regardless of which team we support, is May the best team win! Let’s take a look at how to translate this phrase into the Italian language. Che vinca la squadra migliore! May the best team win! In English, the word may is a synonym for maybe, …
A tormentone is an expression, catchphrase, buzzword, meme, or piece of music that is repeated ad nauseam via the mass media or word of mouth, gaining rapid popularity and widespread diffusion as a result. tormentone catchphrase / hit song Tormentone is a masculine noun, and the plural form is tormentoni. il tormentone un tormentone i tormentoni …
Today’s word is zerbino which, as exotic as it sounds, actually refers to the humblest of household objects: the doormat. It comes from the Arabic zirbiy which translates as either rug or cushion. zerbino doormat Zerbino is a masculine noun whose plural form is zerbini. Any masculine noun that starts with the letter z in …