Imagine you’re in Venice, leaning dangerously off a vaporetto to capture the perfect shot of the Grand Canal (hard to resist, I know), when the ticket controller rushes over shouting: Non è sicuro!(It’s not safe!). Then, in full tourist mode, you book a local guide for the afternoon. Don’t worry, your hotel receptionist reassures you, è una guida …
In every aspect of life, there are inevitably winners and losers. The word for the former is vincitore, whereas the latter is our word of the day: perdente. perdente loser Perdente is a noun that can be either masculine or feminine. The plural form for both genders is perdenti with an -i on the end. …
A colloquial adjective for someone whose behaviour or movements are clumsy is imbranato in Italian. The corresponding feminine form is imbranata whereas the respective plurals are imbranati (m) and imbranate (f). imbranato clumsy / awkward The word is thought to derive from the Venetian imbranà (imbrigliato in Italian) which literally translates as harnessed or tightened …
While listening to my favourite Italian radio station, Radio Italia, earlier today, one of the presenters used a fun little word I’d never written about before — but it absolutely deserves a spot on this website: calzante. calzante well-fitting / snug / suitable As you might guess just by looking at it, calzante comes from …
The word gratificante in Italian can translate as rewarding, gratifying, satisfying or fulfilling. It is almost always used in reference to a job, activity or relationship that provides satisfaction and pleasure. Gratificante comes from the verb gratificare meaning to be rewarding or to be gratifying, but also to compensate when talking about money. Gratificante is …
The Italian adjective affascinante, which can translate in a number of ways including fascinating and attractive, comes from the verb affascinare meaning to fascinate. The singular form is always affascinante and the plural form is always affascinanti regardless of the gender of the subject. When used to describe a person or one of their physical …