In Italian, there are two main ways you can translate the word now. One is ora and the second is adesso. IPA: /ˈo.ra/ IPA: /aˈdɛs.so/ For all intents and purposes, ora and adesso are synonyms in modern day Italian, and swapping one for the other will rarely sound strange to the native ear. Ora derives from the Latin hora ("hour") whereas adesso comes from ad ipsum ("in this … [Read more...] about Ora vs Adesso: What’s the difference?

In English, we have one adverb of place to describe the location of something close to us – here – and another to describe the location of something further away – there. This is why many learners are surprised to learn that four different adverbs exist in Italian: qui and qua (the equivalents of here) and lì vs là (the equivalents of there). So what's the difference between qui/qua and … [Read more...] about Qui vs Qua | Lì vs Là in Italian – What’s the difference?

In English, we have but one word for day but in Italian, there are two: giorno and giornata. Knowing which to use can be tricky if you've only just started learning the language, so here are some helpful tips to clear up the confusion! Giorno It takes 24 hours for the earth to rotate on its axis, and it is this specific astronomical time period that Italians refer to as giorno … [Read more...] about Giorno vs Giornata: What’s the difference?

When I first started learning Italian, I found it perplexing that the word for table could be both tavolo (masculine) and tavola (feminine) depending on the context. If you too are confused, don't worry – you are in good company! IPA: /tà·vo·lo/, /tà·vo·la/ Tavolo (plural: tavoli) is the generic word for table, the ubiquitous piece of furniture found in homes and offices. A big table is … [Read more...] about Tavolo vs Tavola in Italian – What’s the difference?