The English word space carries various meanings, and the good news for learners is that the Italian equivalent, spazio, covers nearly all of these meanings as well. spazio space Before we dive in, let’s quickly explore its etymology. Spazio derives from the Latin spatium, a word of uncertain origin that encompasses the same meanings as …
Whether you love them or hate them, many men choose to grow a beard at some point in their lives. In Italian, the word for this type of peli del volto (facial hair) is barba. barba beard The word comes from the Latin barba of the same spelling and meaning. Barba is a feminine noun, …
If you ask someone about their favourite of the four seasons, chances are they’ll say spring, or primavera in Italian. Sadly, this lovely time of year is coming to an end! primavera spring It derives from the Late Latin primavera, which goes back to the Classical Latin ablative primo vere, signifying “at the beginning of …
If there’s one thing most of us likely don’t get enough of, especially those with young children, it’s sleep. The noun translates as sonno in Italian. sonno sleep / sleepiness The word comes from Latin somnus, which derives from Proto-Italic *swepnos and Proto-Indo-European *swépnos, rooted in *swep- meaning “to sleep.” It is a masculine noun …
Some adjectives in Italian have only one straightforward meaning, while others encompass a range broader than you might anticipate. Magro is one such adjective! magro thin / light / scarce Since magro is an adjective, its ending changes based on the gender and number of the subject – magro (masculine, singular), magra (feminine, singular), magri …
Today’s word of the day, bagnato (wet), is inspired by the dreadful weather we’ve been experiencing here in Wales. We’ve barely seen a couple of weeks of sunshine in nearly nine months! bagnato wet Bagnato is an adjective that is also the past participle of the verb bagnare (to wet / to water). Bagnare, in …