I’m sure the vast majority of us have arranged to go out with someone, either on a date or just as friends, only to be left staring impatiently at our watch, waiting for that person to show up. In English, we might say that we’ve been “stood up” whereas in Italian, you can expect to …
Is there someone in your hometown who always seems to turn up wherever you go? You’re at the supermarket picking up bananas, and there’s Mr. Jones in the next aisle, comparing breakfast cereals. Later, you head out to a restaurant, and who walks in just as you’re eyeing the pasta menu? Mr. Jones, of course, …
In Italian, a straightforward way to say to waste is with the verb sprecare. You can use it for all sorts of situations – wasting food (sprecare cibo), wasting time (sprecare tempo), or wasting money (sprecare soldi), just to name a few. But if you’d like to add a little flair to your Italian, try …
Imagine that your best friend was dumped by his partner a year ago, and despite the passage of time, continues to brood over the break-up. You might be tempted to tell him to come to terms with the separation, or resign himself to the situation, however unpleasant or painful. In Italian, you can use the …
One lesson I’m trying to teach my son is not to let the other kids in his class boss him around. I want him to feel confident standing up for himself, especially if he’s being pressured into doing something he doesn’t want to do. In Italian, there’s a great expression for someone who allows themselves …
My son is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde in the mornings. Some days, he wakes up full of smiles and hugs, but on others, he has what the Italians call la luna storta – the crooked moon. When he’s like this, it’s best to stay out of his way! Avere la luna storta, …