Italian is a beautiful, musical language — we can all agree on that, right? But there’s a specific category of the vocabulary that’s honestly next-level. I’m talking about words for sounds, the ones that don’t just describe a rustling leaf or a crackling fire, they sound like one. From a grammatical point of view, many …
Whether you’re marveling at a mosaic tucked inside a quiet neighborhood church or letting your local friend know that the wine they recommended is absolutely incredible, at some point knowing how to express that you like something in Italian becomes kind of essential. But of course, there isn’t just one way to say it. Instead, …
The wind and I are not great friends. In fact, I’m one of those who usually blames it for the colpo d’aria (you know, that uniquely Italian phenomenon where a “hit of air” is supposedly responsible for everything from a scratchy throat to a stiff neck). So yeah, calm, windless days are very much my …
Guest post by Judy Cohen If you love post-war Italian films as I do, I think you’ll appreciate the following list of cinematic terms in Italian and English. Each one is explained in English. I include images as examples, describing their function in the context of the film. The goal here is not for you …
Every year on February 17th, Italy celebrates the Giornata Nazionale del Gatto—National Cat Day. So, what better occasion to explore some fun and curious expressions featuring the word gatto? After all, Italian is rich in idioms where animals symbolize human behavior, and cats, with their elegance and clever charm, have inspired quite a few of …
To master the art of the chiacchierata (a good old chat), it’s not enough to just study the rules or memorise phrases. You have to physically produce phrases, stumbling over words and feeling a bit clumsy at first (that’s all part of the process!). Don’t get me wrong, grammar is fascinating (who doesn’t love a …