Valentina Nicastro
With so many resources available today, learning all about Italy before your trip has never been easier. But no matter how much research you do, there are still a few classic mistakes that even the most prepared travelers can make. To help you truly blend in with the locals, I’ve put together a list of …
If you think grazie in Italian is just the word to thank someone, think again! From genuine appreciation to sarcastic remarks and even playful jabs, grazie can take on many different meanings, popping up in a wide range of expressions that are frequently used in everyday conversations. Below, I’ll share 11 classics phrases with grazie …
There’s no doubt about it: the Italian language loves vowels. You can hear it in the rhythm of everyday conversation. You feel it in the smooth flow of a simple buongiorno, and you definitely see it in the spelling of even the most basic words. Think pane (bread), vino (wine), sole (sun): they all sound …
If I say pasta, your brain probably jumps straight to a steaming plate of spaghetti, maybe with a coating of tomato sauce, a nice shaving of Parmigiano, and that satisfying first twirl on the fork. Pure deliciousness, right? But what if I told you that in Italian pasta isn’t just what’s for dinner? Yep, this …
Short, a little tricky, and absolutely essential: this is avere, the verb for “to have” in Italian and one of the core building blocks of speaking the language. While it may seem exactly the same as its English counterpart, avere comes with its own set of quirks that can be confusing when approaching it for …
Ah, Italian! The language of love, art, and… gender confusion! In Italian, every noun has a gender, either masculine or feminine. Sounds easy, right? Well, not really. Because changing the gender of a word doesn’t just tweak its form; it changes its entire meaning. Here’s an example: asking for una pizza (feminine) will get you …