The other day, my son and I were in the living room, playing shop with his stuffed animals. At one point, he pretended that one of the toys walked out of his supermarket without paying for an apple, and in that moment, I realised I didn’t have a clue how to translate the word shoplifter …
Mossa in Italian can play three different roles: it can be a noun, an adjective, or even the past participle of a verb. What links them all is one central theme: movement, whether literal or figurative. As a noun, it’s feminine: la / una mossa (singular) and le / delle mosse (plural). mossa / mosse …
Simpatico is a word we use all the time in Italian. It sounds like the English word “sympathetic,” right? If only it were that simple! In Italian, simpatico describes someone who is genuinely likable and fun to be around. Think of it as a mix of friendliness, warmth, charm, and a great sense of humor, …
Have you ever walked past an overflowing dumpster in the heat of a summer afternoon? Or perhaps you’ve met someone whose intentions seemed just a little bit… off? If so, you’ve already experienced the essence of today’s word: Puzzare! Pronounced with a distinctive double “zz” (poot-tsah-reh), this is a great Italian word for describing anything …
You might know “coda” as a term for the final section of a musical piece, but in Italy, this word takes on much more practical (and sometimes frustrating) meanings. So let’s explore all the main uses of this word, which is a feminine noun (la coda) that becomes le code in the plural. coda 1. …
Is it a noun? A verb? Perhaps an adverb? Or even a filler word? The answer is: all of them! Appunto is a word we use a lot in Italian and in many different contexts, which makes it a must-know. Let’s explore its many personalities. appunto 1. Appunto = I note down Appunto is the …