When you meet someone for the first time in Italy, it’s extremely important to know how to introduce yourself. The classic textbook phrase everyone learns on their first day of Italian lessons is Ciao, mi chiamo… which means Hello, my name is… but literally translates as Hello, I call myself… Ciao, mi chiamo Matteo. Hello, …
The most literal meaning of the Italian word cielo (masculine, plural: cieli) in English is sky. There are various ways of describing the sky in Italian depending on the atmospheric conditions and the time of day: Il cielo è coperto di nuvole oggi. The sky is filled with clouds today. A common expression in Italian …
The word caldo can refer to anything that is hot or warm, be it the temperature, weather, food or clothing. Because it is an adjective, the ending changes depending on whether the subject is masculine, feminine, and/or plural. La minestra è ancora calda, ti servo un altro piatto? The soup is still hot, do you …
The word for bed in Italian is letto (masculine, plural: letti). It derives from the Latin lectus of the same meaning. Amongst the different kinds of beds in existence, some popular options include the letto singolo (single bed), letto matrimoniale / letto doppio (double bed), divano letto (sofa bed) and my all-time favourite as a …
A very simple yet incredibly useful phrase in Italian is Sì, (io) lo so which means Yes, I know or Yes, I know that in English. It is made up of the following components: Sì ( Yes ) + io ( I ) + lo ( direct object pronoun ‘it’ ) + so (first person …
Today we’re going to be looking at the most common and colloquial term for food in Italian: cibo (masculine, plural: cibi). Derived from the Latin cibus meaning food, it refers to any nutritious substance that living organisms eat or drink. In Italy, life revolves around the preparation and enjoyment of good food (cibo buono / …