Italian Word of the Day: Pelliccia (fur / pelt)

The Italian word for the fur or pelt of an animal is pelliccia. It derives from the late Latin pellicius (“of skin”), which in turn is a derivative of pellis (skin). pelliccia fur Pelliccia is a feminine noun, so it takes the following definite and indefinite articles: Similar to the English word, pelliccia can refer …

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Italian Word of the Day: Spinta (push / incentive)

The Italian word spinta quite literally means push in English. It is the feminine form of spinto (pushed, compelled), which in turn comes from the verb spingere (to push). spinta push / incentive Because spinta is feminine, it takes the following definite and indefinite articles: Two of the most common verbs you will see used …

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The Funniest Mistakes People Have Made When Speaking Italian 

Mistakes are an inevitable part of learning a new language, and they’re not only normal but also an integral aspect of the language acquisition journey. The more mistakes you make, the faster you will learn the correct way to say things. Still, that doesn’t mean some of these mishaps aren’t downright hilarious. In this article, …

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Italian Idiom: Avere sale in zucca (to be wise / sensible)

In idiomatic expressions, it’s common for Italians to use the word zucca, which means pumpkin, gourd, or squash, to draw comparisons to human heads and brains. An example of such an idiom is “avere sale in zucca,” which translates literally to “to have salt in one’s gourd.” It is used to describe someone who is …

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LangAI – Practise speaking Italian with an AI chatbot

Do you feel extremely nervous when you have to converse with native Italian speakers? I know I do. Despite having studied the language for over ten years, I still experience sweaty palms and a lump in my throat whenever I find myself speaking to someone new. Today, we will be exploring a language learning app …

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