The adverb perfino in Italian is made up of the prefix per– and the preposition fino (up to, as far as). It is used much in the same way as the adverb even in English, in that it emphasises something surprising or extreme. Important: perfino has an alternative form, persino, but don’t worry, they are …
While forse (maybe) and magari (possibly) are perfectly good words for expressing a possibility or uncertainty, an expression you simply cannot ignore if you really want to sound fluent in Italian is può darsi. It is the combination of può (the third-person singular of potere ‘to be able‘) and darsi (the reflexive form of dare …
The adverbial phrase a malapena means barely, scarcely, hardly, just about or only just in English. /ma·la·pé·na/ In both languages, these expressions often (albeit not always) imply some degree of hardship or difficulty. Il paziente con la bronchite riesce a malapena a respirare. The patient with bronchitis is hardly able to breathe.The patient with bronchitis …
Al di là is an adverbial phrase that translates as on the other side or beyond. It is made up of the following components: Al di là c’era il deserto, immenso e dominato da dune enormi. Beyond lay the desert, immense and dominated by enormous dunes. When used as a preposition, it translates as on …
Crepapelle, or more specifically a crepapelle, is one of those Italian expressions that does not have a direct English equivalent. Comprising the words crepare (to crack / to die) and pelle (skin), it describes various actions that are carried out to the point of bursting or to the breaking point. The best way to understand …
The word for today in Italian is oggi. It derives from the Latin hŏdie which itself is a contraction of hoc die (on this day). Ieri mi hai detto che l’incontro si sarebbe tenuto oggi, ma in realtà ho scoperto che si svolge domani! Yesterday you told me the meeting would be held today but …