Valentina Nicastro
The wind and I are not great friends. In fact, I’m one of those who usually blames it for the colpo d’aria (you know, that uniquely Italian phenomenon where a “hit of air” is supposedly responsible for everything from a scratchy throat to a stiff neck). So yeah, calm, windless days are very much my …
Stato is one of those words you’ll hear everywhere, and sooner or later, you’ll need it too. Take a look at this sentence: Siamo arrivati nello stato di New York proprio il giorno in cui è stato dichiarato lo stato di emergenza. We arrived in the state of New York on the very day the …
Every year on February 17th, Italy celebrates the Giornata Nazionale del Gatto—National Cat Day. So, what better occasion to explore some fun and curious expressions featuring the word gatto? After all, Italian is rich in idioms where animals symbolize human behavior, and cats, with their elegance and clever charm, have inspired quite a few of …
What do a marching band, a group of thieves, and your Wi-Fi signal have in common? The Italian word banda! Yep, this little word covers a surprising number of meanings. Depending on the context, it can refer to an ensemble of musicians, a criminal gang, or even internet bandwidth – and that’s not all. banda …
To master the art of the chiacchierata (a good old chat), it’s not enough to just study the rules or memorise phrases. You have to physically produce phrases, stumbling over words and feeling a bit clumsy at first (that’s all part of the process!). Don’t get me wrong, grammar is fascinating (who doesn’t love a …
At its core, succedere is a verb that helps us talk about things that happen. But it doesn’t stop there. succedere Before we look at how to use it, there’s one important grammar point to keep in mind: succedere always pairs with essere (to be) in compound tenses (è successo). This is important, because using …