Heather Broster
Parents often find themselves repeating certain words and phrases to their kids over and over again. While some of these expressions are positive and encouraging, others may not be as pleasant or gentle. Regardless of their nature, these repetitive messages play a significant role in shaping a child’s understanding of the world and their behaviour. …
When learning a new language, you may encounter words that bear a striking resemblance to offensive words in your native tongue. In fact, some of these words can sound or look so alike that you might hesitate to pronounce them out of concern for sounding impolite. Italian, too, has its fair share of such words. …
What is the first translation that comes to mind when you see the Italian word marmellata? If you said marmalade, you wouldn’t be wrong, but there is more to this sweet and sticky tale than meets the eye … marmellata jam / preserve According to the precise EU definition, marmellata must be crafted from specific …
In our everyday language, adverbs are scattered throughout our speech, but there’s a particular category that stands out for its significance – adverbs of time. Within this category, there exists a subset referred to as “adverbs of frequency,” which holds a pivotal role in conveying the frequency of events. These adverbs provide insight into how …
When describing something that has exceeded its normal dimensions, Italians often use the adjective gonfio (feminine: gonfia, plural: gonfi / gonfie). gonfio First and foremost, you can use it to describe something filled with air, in which case we’d generally use the adjective inflated in English. For example, an inflated balloon would be un palloncino …
In English, you’ve probably heard the expression “You’ve made your bed, now lie in it!” We use it whenever we want to tell someone, who is complaining, that they must accept or take responsibility for the unpleasant or unwanted results of something they have done. In Italian, there is a proverb that means exactly the …