A question that is rarely asked in real-world conversations, but almost always taught during the first lessons of any language course, is How old are you? or Quanti anni hai? in Italian. Quanti anni hai? – Ho tre anni e mezzo! How old are you? – I’m three and a half! It is important to …
Air – or aria (feminine, plural: arie) in Italian – is fundamental to all life on earth. Without air, or more specifically oxygen (ossigeno), the human body can only survive for a few minutes before it begins to fail. In addition to being the means by which winged animals and machines fly (volare), it is …
The Italian word for daughter is figlia (plural: figlie) which is the feminine equivalent of figlio (son). Ho una figlia e due figli. I have a daughter and two sons. It can also refer to young girl in general, or even an adult woman, in compassionate or affectionate statements. Povera figlia, come ti sei ridotta! …
Like food, wine plays a very important role in Italy’s commerce and culture. Mangiare (eating) together is a fundamental part of Italian social life, and whether you’re at a restaurant or someone’s house, a bottiglia (bottle) of wine is always on the table. The word for wine in Italian is vino (masculine, plural vini). As …
The word welcome – as in the polite and friendly greeting you use upon someone’s arrival – can be translated as benvenuto in Italian. The end of the word changes depending on whether you are addressing a man, woman or multiple men and women. Benvenuti alla mia festa! Welcome to my party! The same word …
If you’ve only just arrived in Italy and your vocabulary hasn’t progressed far beyond ciao and grazie, there is a survival phrase you should definitely make an effort to learn: Do you speak English? Italian has both formal and informal registers, so if you’re addressing a stranger on the street or in a shop, the …