Today we are going to be looking at a useful everyday word that can be classified as both an adjective and a noun: piatto. piatto flat / plate / dish ‘Piatto’ the adjective Used as an adjective, this word translates to flat or level. It is derived from the Latin *plattum, which in turn comes …
My son is currently obsessed with trucks of all sorts, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of his favourite words in Italian is guasto. It is used when something, such as a machine or vehicle, stops working as it should. guasto broken / faulty Guasto is the past participle of the verb …
If an individual displays rude and arrogant behaviour, demonstrating a total lack of respect, you could characterise them as sfacciato in Italian, which translates to insolent, brash, brazen or impudent in English. sfacciato The term sfacciato originates from the root faccia (face), employed figuratively to convey notions of honor or respect. The s- prefix, in …
Così is one of those amazingly versatile words in the Italian language with various meanings based on the context it’s used in. It serves not only as an adverb but also as a conjunction and an adjective, making it quite challenging to summarise in a single article. Nonetheless, let’s give it a shot! Before we …
The Italian adjective spietato can be translated into English in various ways, ranging from cruel and ruthless to fierce and cutthroat. spietato ruthless / cutthroat It derives from the noun pietà (pity), to which the prefix s- has been added. This prefix adds a sense of negation or absence, transforming the word to convey the …
Dissestato isn’t the kind of word you will come across in everyday Italian, but for those keen on expanding their vocabulary, it is one worth remembering. Because it is an adjective, the ending changes to correspond with the gender and/or plurality of the subject: First and foremost, it is used to describe things that have …