Italian Word of the Day: Stento (hardship)

The masculine noun stento in Italian is used to describe a situation of severe suffering or privation, much like the word hardship in English. stento hardship It derives from the verb stentare which translates as to struggle, to find difficult or to scrape by. Because stento begins with the letters st-, it takes the following …

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How to Say “I Want…” in Italian: 3 Ways

Did you know that there isn’t just one way to say ‘I want’ in Italian, but three? Depending on the context and the level of formality, you can use different expressions to convey your desire. Understanding these nuances adds depth to your grasp of the language and allows you to communicate more effectively in various …

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Italian Word of the Day: Costeggiare (to walk along / to run along / to skirt)

Today we’ll be looking at a verb that was suggested by one of the members in our fantastic Facebook community: costeggiare. costeggiare Costeggiare is a regular -are verb, so it can be conjugated in the following manner in the present tense: (io) costeggio (tu) costeggi (lui) costeggia (lei) costeggia (Lei) costeggia (noi) costeggiamo (voi) costeggiate …

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Italian Idiom: Tutto fa brodo (Every little bit helps)

Italians love their food idioms, so much so that even the humble broth (brodo) has made its way into an everyday expression! Tutto fa brodo literally translates to “everything makes broth“. Just as any kind of vegetable or meat can become broth when boiled, any contribution to a goal or cause, no matter how small, …

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