Italian Word of the Day: Formaggio (cheese)

It is difficult to imagine Italy without conjuring up images of pane (bread), vino (wine), pasta, pizza, and of course, cheese. The generic word for cheese in Italian is formaggio (masculine, plural: formaggi) and as everyone knows, many of the most famous cheeses in the world originate from Italy. In fact, it is estimated that there …

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Italian Word of the Day: Nuovo (new)

The usage of the adjective nuovo (feminine: nuova, plural: nuovi or nuove) in Italian is almost identical to the word new in English. Just as it can refer to something that didn’t exist before, it can also describe something produced, introduced, or discovered recently or for the first time, or an unused item. Ho comprato …

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Italian Word of the Day: Leone (lion)

There are thirty-eight big cat species in the world, but none is quite as iconic as the lion – or leone (masculine, plural: leoni) in Italian. A female lion, or lioness, is called a leonessa, whereas a lion cub can be translated as leoncino (little lion), although you will also hear cucciolo di leone. African …

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Italian Word of the Day: Forte (strong)

Italian word for 'strong'

You may already be familiar with the word forte, as it is the term we use in English for a thing at which someone excels (in other words, someone’s strong suit). Although this meaning exists in Italian as well, the primary meaning of forte (plural: forti) is strong. Carlo è forte ma se la tira …

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Italian Word of the Day: Cavallo (horse)

Italian word for 'horse'

One of the most majestic and well-loved animals in the world is the horse or cavallo (masculine, plural: cavalli) in Italian. Il mio animale preferito è il cavallo. My favourite animal is the horse. A male horse is called a stallone (stallion) whereas a female horse can be called either a cavalla or giumenta (mare). …

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Italian Word of the Day: Piccolo (small / little)

Italian word for small or little

The word for small or little in Italian is piccolo (masculine). The feminine form is piccola and the plural forms are piccoli (masculine) and piccole (feminine). As in English, you can use the adjective to describe something that is small in size. Ho comprato questa piccola caffettiera oggi. Era in offerta. I bought this small …

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