Italian Word of the Day: Tazza (cup / mug)

The word for any small bowl-shaped drinking container with a handle is tazza in Italian. Unlike most Italian words which derive from Latin, the origin of the word tazza can be traced back to the Arabic ṭasa. Two possible translations in English are cup and mug. Tazza is a feminine noun. The plural is tazze. …

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Italian Word of the Day: Tardi (late)

One word for late in Italian is tardi, which should be very easy to remember as we have the same word in English, albeit spelt with a word-final ‘y’ instead of an ‘i’. Both the Italian and the English tardy can be traced back to the Latin tardus meaning ‘slow’. The expressions essere tardi (lit. …

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Italian Word of the Day: Rana (frog)

The Italian word for a frog is rana. It derives from the Latin word of the same spelling. Rana is a feminine noun. Its plural is rane. la ranauna rana le ranedelle rane Among the most well-known types of frogs there is the rana rossa (common frog), rana toro (American bullfrog) and the rana verde …

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Italian Word of the Day: Sedia (chair / seat)

The Italian word for chair is sedia. It comes from the ancient sieda which in turn derives from the verb sedere (to sit). Sedia is a feminine noun, and the plural is sedie. la sediauna sedia le sediedelle sedie A chair is normally made up of the following parts: Il sedile e lo schienale di …

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Italian Word of the Day: Voglia (desire / craving / birthmark)

Voglia is a frequently used Italian noun that has various translations depending on the context, including desire, craving, longing or wish. Fewer people know that it also means birthmark, as we’ll discover further down. The word comes from the verb volere (to want). Voglia is a feminine noun. The plural is voglie. la vogliauna voglia …

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Italian Word of the Day: Chiave (key)

Chiave is one of those words in Italian with multiple translations, but let’s begin by looking at the most diffused meaning which is key. Chiave is a feminine noun. The plural is chiavi. la chiaveuna chiave le chiavidelle chiavi Two kinds of keys you definitely don’t want to misplace are le chiavi di casa (house …

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