Valentina Nicastro
You know when you’re in the middle of a sentence and instead of saying the actual word or name, you go “you know, the thing…” or “that guy, you know who I mean…” Maybe you forgot it. Maybe you just don’t want to say it. Either way, you’re waving your hands around while the other …
Have you ever asked an Italian what time the next bus is coming, only to get a beautifully vague answer like verso le 9 (around 9) or verso mezzogiorno (around midday)? Sure, there’s wisdom in that answer (who can predict public transport!), but it also introduces a useful word to know in Italian: verso. verso …
Oggi non esco a pranzo, ho la schiscetta. This is the kind of thing you’d hear in any Milanese office when the clock strikes lunchtime. It simply means “’I’m not going out for lunch, I brought my lunchbox,” but doesn’t schiscetta just sound so much more fun? In Italian we have an incredibly specific vocabulary …
Some Italian words are so similar to their English counterparts that you barely even need a translation. Take eliminare: it looks like “to eliminate,” it sounds like “to eliminate,” and yep, that’s pretty much what it means. eliminare But keep reading, because this verb has more nuances than you’d expect. The doctor might use it …
I’m working out at the gym (well, let’s pretend), when the person next to me starts talking. Just a little comment about how crowded it is, nothing wrong with that. But then come the details about their workout routine, their protein intake, their super-balanced diet. Oh, and a very thorough retelling of the time they …
There’s nothing like standing at the bar counter, waiting for our foamy cappuccino, when someone leans in and whispers La sai l’ultima? (Literally, do you know the latest?). And just like that, our morning routine becomes a lot more interesting! I know, I know: gossiping is not exactly a noble hobby. But let’s be honest, …