Italian Word of the Day: Entusiasta (enthusiastic)

An interesting adjective in Italian is entusiasta which, given its resemblance to the English, you might have guessed means enthusiastic. Unlike many other Italian adjectives, which have a masculine form ending in -o and a feminine form ending in -a, the final letter of entusiasta does not change according to the gender. So, for example, …

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Italian Word of the Day: Capriccio (tantrum / whim)

The words tantrum and whim both translate as capriccio (masculine, plural: capricci) in Italian. Derived from the antiquated form caporiccio, meaning fright or sudden start, it shares the same origin as the English word caprice. In the former sense of the word, it is often used to talk about the temper tantrums of young children. …

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Italian Word of the Day: Arrabbiato (angry)

The word for angry in Italian is arrabbiato. It is also the past participle of the verbs arrabbiarsi (to get angry) and far(e) arrabbiare (to anger). Because it is an adjective, the ending of arrabbiato changes depending on whether you are talking about a solitary male (arrabbiato), a solitary female (arrabbiata), a group of males …

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Italian Word of the Day: Vergogna (shame / disgrace)

Vergogna (feminine, plural: vergogne) is a very useful Italian noun that translates as shame, disgrace or embarrassment in English depending on the context. Below are a few common verbs you’ll see is the company of vergogna: sentire / provare vergogna = to feel shame (non) conoscere la vergogna = to (not) have a sense of …

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Italian Word of the Day: Triste (sad)

The word for sad in Italian, which comes from the Latin tristis, is triste. Like all other adjectives that end in e, the ending of triste stays the same regardless of whether the subject is masculine or feminine. In its plural form, it becomes tristi. È una situazione molto triste per tutte le persone coinvolte. …

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Italian Word of the Day: Felicità (happiness)

Felicità, the Italian word for happiness, comes from the Latin word felix meaning happy, blessed or lucky. English speakers shouldn’t have any trouble remembering this word if they call to mind the term felicity, a close synonym for happiness. Some closely related terms include felice (happy), felicemente (happily), felicitare (to congratulate) and of course, the …

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