Italian Word of the Day: Liscio (smooth)

In order to say that something is smooth in Italian, you would use the adjective liscio. The opposite of liscio is the word ruvido (rough). As is the case with many adjectives in Italian, the ending of the liscio changes depending on whether you are talking about a masculine, feminine or plural subject: I neonati …

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Italian Word of the Day: Intelligente (intelligent / smart)

The word for intelligent or smart in Italian is intelligente. Both the Italian and English can be traced back to the Latin intelligent- which means understanding. Intelligente is the singular form of the adjective and may be used to describe both masculine and feminine subjects, whereas the plural form is intelligenti. Carlo è un bambino …

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Italian Word of the Day: Arrabbiato (angry)

The word for angry in Italian is arrabbiato. It is also the past participle of the verbs arrabbiarsi (to get angry) and far(e) arrabbiare (to anger). Because it is an adjective, the ending of arrabbiato changes depending on whether you are talking about a solitary male (arrabbiato), a solitary female (arrabbiata), a group of males …

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Italian Word of the Day: Piccante (spicy / hot)

Any food that causes a burning sensation in the mouth when tasted can be called piccante, which is the word for spicy or hot in Italian. It comes from the French word piquant of the same meaning. The plural form of this adjective is piccanti. There is no distinction between masculine and feminine: it’s always …

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Italian Word of the Day: Testardo (stubborn)

Someone who is determined not to change their attitude or position on something, no matter how right or wrong they are and regardless of the advice and opinions of others, is called testardo (stubborn) in Italian. It derives from the Italian word for head which is testa. Che ragazzo testardo! Con lui non si può …

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Italian Word of the Day: Peloso (fluffy / hairy)

Peloso is an Italian adjective that may describe anything with a soft hair-like texture. This means that it can translate as any one of the following terms in English: fluffy, hairy, furry, fuzzy, wooly or shaggy. It comes from the word pelo which means hair. un gatto peloso = a fluffy cat un braccio peloso …

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