Sfida (feminine, plural: sfide) is the Italian word for challenge. It refers to the act of challenging someone to a battle, duel, race or any other kind of competition to decide who is superior in terms of ability or strength. It comes from the verb sfidare which means to challenge or to defy. Some verbs you'll frequently see used with sfida include: lanciare una sfida = to issue a … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Sfida (challenge)
Italian Word of the Day: Ruzzolone (tumble / hard fall)
A fun Italian word that sounds just like its meaning is ruzzolone (masculine, plural: ruzzoloni), which translates as a tumble or hard fall in English. It derives from the verb ruzzolare (to tumble / to roll) which can ultimately be traced back to the Latin word rota meaning wheel. To take a tumble translates as fare un ruzzolone in Italian. To emphasise that it was a particularly bad … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Ruzzolone (tumble / hard fall)
Italian Phrase: Ho sete! (I’m thirsty!)
Last year, we covered how to say "I'm hungry!" in Italian, so today we're going to look at what to say when you're feeling a little (or very) parched! Ho sete! I'm thirsty! Let's break the phrase down into its component parts: ho The first person singular conjugation of avere (to have). Note that Italians frequently use the verb avere where we would use to be (essere) in English. … [Read more...] about Italian Phrase: Ho sete! (I’m thirsty!)
Italian Word of the Day: Allarme (alarm / alert)
The word for alarm in Italian is allarme (masculine, plural: allarmi). It derives from the military expression All'arme! (To arms!) which was, and still is, a command to soldiers to take up their weapons and be ready to fight. Arme was the ancient plural of arma (weapon) but it has since been replaced by armi. In addition to being a warning, allarme can also refer to an electronic device … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Allarme (alarm / alert)
20 Italian Phrases & Quotes about Life (with English Translations)
Life - or la vita in Italian - is a rollercoaster filled with incredible highs and devastating lows. Unfortunately there isn't a single handbook to help us navigate all of life's ups and downs but that is exactly what makes it such an adventure! Below you'll find a collection of twenty of our favourite inspirational, humorous and interesting life quotes in the Italian language, all of which … [Read more...] about 20 Italian Phrases & Quotes about Life (with English Translations)
Italian Word of the Day: Rottame (wreck / piece of junk)
Ever since we began feeling the first aches and pains of age, my husband and I have jokingly started calling each other rottame (masculine, plural: rottami). It derives from rotto, the past participle of the verb rompere (to break), and the suffix -ame whose purpose is to form collective nouns from simple nouns, often with a derogatory connotation. The first and most literal meaning of … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Rottame (wreck / piece of junk)