Italian Word of the Day: Spazzola (brush)

The word for brush in Italian is spazzola (feminine, plural: spazzole). It comes from the verb spazzare meaning to sweep or to mop. The diminutive spazzolina literally means little brush whereas the masculine equivalent spazzolino is what Italians call a toothbrush. The augmentative spazzolone on the other hand specifically denotes a scrubbing brush / broom. …

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Italian Word of the Day: Colmo (brimming / peak)

A barrel brimming with beer. A plate overflowing with pasta. A heart bursting with joy. Anything that is full to the brim, be it physical or metaphorical, can be described using a simple adjective in Italian: colmo. Because it is an adjective, the ending changes depending on the gender and number of the person or …

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Italian Word of the Day: Migliore amico (best friend)

They say that sometimes, being with your best friend is all the therapy you need when the world gets you down, and I couldn’t agree more! The word for best friend in Italian is migliore amico in reference to a male or migliore amica for a female. The plural forms are migliori amici and migliori …

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Italian Word of the Day: Osso (bone)

The Italian word for bone is osso (masculine). It derives from the Latin os. Like many parts of the body, this word has two plural forms: ossa (feminine) and ossi (masculine). The masculine plural, formed from the singular osso, refers to individual bones considered separately, or to the bones of an animal. The feminine plural …

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Italian Word of the Day: Sangue (blood)

The word for blood in Italian is sangue (masculine). If you have trouble remembering this term, I find it helps to think of the English word sanguine, which shares the same Latin origin (sanguis). Below are a few verbs that are often used with sangue: When describing something related to blood, the adjective sanguigno is …

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Italian Word of the Day: Settembre (September)

September, or settembre in Italian, is easily my favourite month of the year. The days are warm without being oppressively so, the nights are cool, there is still enough daylight to enjoy outdoor activities in the late afternoon, and you can smell the arrival of autumn in the air. Settembre is the ninth month (nono …

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