20 Words & Expressions to Help You Speak Italian Like a Native

One of the questions we often get asked is “How can I speak Italian like a native?” In addition to obvious methods such as improving your pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, the best way to learn how to sound like a native Italian speaker is to focus on learning specific words and expressions to add that …

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5 Things to Do in Florence (Italy) on a Rainy Day

5 cose da fare a Firenze quando piove Rain happens. Especially in the spring and fall seasons in Florence, Italy. But don’t let the inevitable rainfall ruin your dream vacation to Tuscany! You may not want to go on long strolls while white-knuckle gripping umbrellas, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have other Italian experiences. …

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Italian Word of the Day: Certo (certain / sure / of course)

Certo is the Italian word for certain or sure. It derives from the Latin certum, the past participle of cernĕre meaning “to distinguish”. Being an adjective, its form changes to match the gender and/or number of the noun it describes. We should start out with some good news for English speaking learners: certo covers more …

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How to Pronounce the Most Famous Italian Brand Names

Italian culture has made a name for itself all across the globe. We love Italian food, Italian fashion, Italian cars – the list goes on! When I want to splurge at the grocery store, I treat myself to name brand Barilla pasta, and sometimes a big jar of Nutella to top my favorite breakfast breads. …

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Pros and Cons of Living in Italy (as an American)

Written by our American contributor in Florence, Lyssa Yapp, and translated into Italian by Valentina Nicastro. Title: Pro e Contro di Vivere in Italia (da Americani) Some Americans were born with souls meant to wander the Earth; we call them “expats”. Others were descended from immigrants, and now want to return to the patria (“homeland”). …

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Italian Word of the Day: Sapientone/a (know-it-all)

We all know that one person who acts as if he or she knows everything and dismisses the opinions, comments, or suggestions of others. In English, the best word to describe a person like this is know-it-all (or know-all) whereas in Italian, you’ll probably hear people using the terms sapientone (for a man) and sapientona …

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