Italian Word of the Day: Carino (nice / pretty)

italian word carino

In Italian, a positive way to describe a person or an action is by using the adjective carino. Carino is the diminutive form of caro, which translates to dear. It can be used in its masculine form, carino, feminine form, carina, or in their respective plural forms, carini and carine. When referring to a deed …

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Italian Word of the Day: Contento (happy / pleased / glad / content)

While it might be tempting to assume that the Italian adjective contento is the direct counterpart of the English content, it actually encompasses a slightly broader range of meanings as we’ll soon discover. The most common translations for contento are glad and happy. Like its English counterparts, it denotes a subdued or contained kind of …

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Italian Word of the Day: Folle (crazy / foolish)

Did you know that there are numerous ways to translate the word “crazy“ into Italian? One of the most frequently used translations is the adjective folle, which happens to be our word of the day! folle crazy / foolish The word comes from the Latin follem, meaning inflated ball or bellows, and by extension, an …

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Italian Word of the Day: Gonfio (inflated / swollen)

When describing something that has exceeded its normal dimensions, Italians often use the adjective gonfio (feminine: gonfia, plural: gonfi / gonfie), which is the past participle of the verb gonfiare (to inflate). gonfio First and foremost, you can use it to describe something filled with air, in which case we’d generally use the adjective inflated …

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Italian Word of the Day: Secco (dry)

Today we’re going to be looking at the Italian word secco, whose principal translation is dry in English. It comes from the Latin siccus of the same meaning. Because secco is an adjective, the ending changes in accordance with the gender and/or plurality of the subject: Broadly speaking, secco can refer to anything that lacks …

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Italian Word of the Day: Arroventato (red-hot / scorching)

I happened to hear today’s word while listening to my favourite Italian radio station, Radio Italia, where they were discussing the unusually hot temperatures that have gripped Italy over the past week. In some places in the south, the mercury has soared past the 40°C / 104°F mark. Arroventato is an adjective that translates as red-hot …

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