Italian Word of the Day: Piantagrane (troublemaker / nitpicker)

The word for a pedantic person who raises questions and objections, and causes difficulties or problems over things of little importance is piantagrane in Italian. Some possible translations in English include troublemaker, fault-finder and nitpicker. Piantagrane is the combination of the verb piantare (to plant) and the noun grana, which in addition to meaning ‘grain‘ …

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Italian Word of the Day: Tormentone (catchphrase / hit song)

cover image with the word “tormentone” and its translation written on a notepad next to a cup of coffee

A tormentone is an expression, catchphrase, buzzword, meme, or piece of music that is repeated ad nauseam via the mass media or word of mouth, gaining rapid popularity and widespread diffusion as a result. Tormentone is a masculine noun, and the plural form is tormentoni. il tormentone un tormentone i tormentoni dei tormentoni It derives from …

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Italian Word of the Day: Pendolare (commuter)

cover image with the word “pendolare” and its translation written on a notepad next to a cup of coffee

Pendolare is an interesting Italian word in that it can be classified as a noun, verb or adjective. Let’s begin by looking at its usage as a verb, as doing so will help us understand the meaning behind the noun and adjective. Pendolare is a regular -are verb that means to oscillate, to swing, or …

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Italian Word of the Day: Grossomodo (roughly / approximately)

cover image with the word “grossomodo” and its translation written on a notepad next to a cup of coffee

An adverb in Italian that means more or less, approximately or roughly is grossomodo. It may also be written as two words – grosso modo – with grosso meaning large and modo meaning way. Siamo grossomodo a metà strada. We’re approximately halfway there. Grossomodo ci saranno quaranta persone questa sera. There will be more or …

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Italian Word of the Day: Intoppo (setback / hindrance)

If you find yourself regularly coming up against stumbling blocks while trying to realise your goals, you’ll definitely find the word intoppo useful! Intoppo is a masculine noun. The plural is intoppi. l’intoppoun intoppo gli intoppidegli intoppi Intoppo, which comes from the verb intoppare (to crash, collide, stumble), describes the act of colliding with an …

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Italian Word of the Day: Vigneto (vineyard)

The Italian word for a vineyard is vigneto. It derives from the Latin vinetum, which in turn comes from vinum, the Latin word for wine. Note: Vigneto is easily confused with the similar-sounding term vignetta, which is the word for a cartoon or comic strip, so pay attention to the pronunciation! Vigneto is a masculine …

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