“Modal verb.” Sounds like a scary grammatical term, doesn’t it? Well, it actually isn’t as fear-inducing as you might think! Modal verbs – known as a verbi servili in Italian – always serve the verb that follows them. Their job is to express likelihood, ability, permission, request, capacity, suggestion, order, obligation, or advice, or in …
Contrary to popular belief, the best way to learn Italian for travel isn’t to memorise an entire travel phrase book from start to finish, but rather, to pick out a few key phrases that will come in handy over the course of your stay in Italy … and that you will actually remember! After all, …
We all know that the Italian language is abundant in rich, complicated and, at times, convoluted words. Among them are also some very long words, the most difficult to memorise, although they are helped by a pleasant and fun melody. What is the longest Italian word you know? It might be a word such as: …
Knowing when to use the verbs potere and riuscire in Italian can be challenging for a learner, since both translate as can or to be able to in English. To clear up the confusion, let’s take a look at some of the specific circumstances where each verb is used! When to use ‘potere’ in Italian …
Even though Italian and English share many similarities, there are plenty of words that trip up Italian students repeatedly – and not all of them are false friends! One of the biggest headaches for learners is the double consonant, which is pronounced differently to a single consonant in that the sound is lengthened and more …
Even the most talented of poets may find themselves at a loss when writing traditional rhyming poetry, especially if one of the lines ends with an uncooperative word such as “Italian”! The good news is that there are a handful of words that rhyme, or partially rhyme, with Italian. (But let’s be honest, the real …