If someone thanks you for a favour you’ve done, or apologises for a mistake they’ve made, there is one easygoing response that covers all the bases: Non c’è problema! (No problem!). It literally translates as there isn’t a problem. Caspita, ho dimenticato il regalo per Anna… – Non c’è problema. Lo prendiamo al ritorno. Darn, …
If you are familiar with the English word lupine, it shouldn’t be too difficult to remember the word lupo (masculine, plural: lupi), which is the Italian for wolf. A wolf cub is known as a lupetto. This is also the term used for a cub scout in the young Scouts organisation and the mock turtleneck. …
The domestic pig – or maiale (masculine, plural: maiali) in Italian – is one of the most populous mammals (mammiferi) in the world. In fact, it is estimated that approximately one billion are alive at any time. Because they are omnivores (onnivori) just like humans, they can consume a wider range of food than most …
The Italian word for fast or quick is veloce. It derives from the Latin word velox meaning quick. When I was first learning Italian, I found this word very easy to remember because it shares the same origin as the English word velocity, not to mention the name of everyone’s favourite dinosaur in Jurassic Park, …
Is your Italian friend about to head off on a trip? Then today’s expression will definitely come in handy! The Italian phrase for Have a good trip! is Buon viaggio! Literally translating as good journey or good trip, it greatly resembles the French expression with which we are all familiar: Bon voyage! Buon viaggio, Alice! …
Today’s word of the day is part of our Italian Christmas Word Advent Calendar series. Each day throughout December, we’ll post a word that is related to the holiday season. Enjoy! The first day of the new year is known as Capodanno in Italian. It is composed of two words: capo (meaning head or top) and anno …