Just as English speakers use the words tummy and belly to informally refer to the area between the ribs and the pelvis, Italians also have an informal name for this part of the body: pancia (feminine, plural: pance). Note: A more formal context would require the use of ventre or addome to refer to the …
The word assaggio (masculine, plural: assaggi) in Italian refers to a small portion of food or drink taken as a sample. In English, it is best translated as taste, but other possibilities include sip (when talking about drinks), bite or nibble to name a few. Combined with the verb fare (to do / make), you …
The word for whale in Italian is balena (feminine, plural: balene), which comes from the Latin balaena. When talking about a young whale calf or balena giovane, the diminutives balenottero or balenotto are used. Whales are amongst the largest marine mammals (mammiferi marini) on earth, and are characterised by their streamlined hairless bodies, horizontal tail …
Sopravvissuto, the word for survivor in Italian, comes from the verb sopravvivere meaning to survive. It is formed of two parts: sopra (above) and vissuto (past participle of vivere ‘to live’). If you are talking about a woman instead of a man, the masculine sopravvissuto becomes the feminine sopravvissuta. Their respective plurals are sopravvissuti and …
The word for tiger in Italian is the feminine noun tigre (plural: tigri) which derives from the Latin tigris. It remains feminine regardless of whether you are talking about a male tiger (una tigre maschio) or a female tiger (una tigre femmina). It is the largest of the so-called big cats (grandi felini) that make …
One of two ways to translate the word together in Italian is insieme, which comes from the vulgar Latin insemel. The other is assieme, and while they are almost completely interchangeable, insieme is the term you will hear more often. Note: If you have trouble remembering this word, I find it helps to think of …