I’m generally a very patient individual, but if you push me too far, I am liable to lose my composure. The verb to describe someone who suddenly becomes unable to control their temper or emotions is sbottare, and that’s our word of the day! sbottare to lose it / burst out / snap According to the ever-reliable Treccani …
A verb you should try to pick up early on in your language learning journey is consigliare because asking locals for recommendations is a great way add a touch of authenticity to your experience in Italy! consigliare to recommend / suggest / advise For example, when you visit a new city in Italy, you might …
Whenever I’m out on a walk in the countryside, particularly following una giornata piovosa (a rainy day), I pay extra attention to not step on the many chiocciole (snails) that come out of hiding. I always feel terrible when I do accidentally pestarne una (step on one)! chiocciola snail Chiocciola is a feminine noun and …
A mistake I often hear Italians make when they’re not fluent in English is using boring when they actually mean annoying. There’s a very good reason for this: in Italian, there’s just one simple word for both adjectives – noioso. noioso boring / annoying According to Treccani, noioso probably originates from the Old Provençal word …
Are you someone who loves a good natter? If so, there is no better verb than chiacchierare, the Italian equivalent of to chat or to make small talk. It even sounds like the concept it describes, wouldn’t you agree? chiacchierare to chat According to Treccani, the origin of this word is indeed onomatopoeic. Unlike parlare, …
Still staring at the map after the guy on the Italian weather forecast warned about a strong swirl of cold air coming from la Manica, and you have no idea where that is? Read on to find out! manica sleeve / bunch / English Channel 1. MANICA = Sleeve The word manica in Italian comes …