Italian Word of the Day: Caldo (hot / warm)

The word caldo can refer to anything that is hot or warm, be it the temperature, weather, food or clothing. Because it is an adjective, the ending changes depending on whether the subject is masculine, feminine, and/or plural. La minestra è ancora calda, ti servo un altro piatto? The soup is still hot, do you …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Letto (bed)

The word for bed in Italian is letto (masculine, plural: letti). It derives from the Latin lectus of the same meaning. Amongst the different kinds of beds in existence, some popular options include the letto singolo (single bed), letto matrimoniale / letto doppio (double bed), divano letto (sofa bed) and my all-time favourite as a …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Scodella (bowl)

Scodella (feminine, plural: scodelle) is just one of many words in Italian that can translate as bowl. I’ve settled on this particular word because it is the most generic, but don’t worry, I’ll touch upon the others below! In addition to referring to a handleless cup-like bowl, such as the kind used for breakfast cereal, …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Inizio (beginning)

The word for beginning or start in Italian is inizio (masculine, plural: inizi). If you find yourself struggling to remember this word, I’ve found that it helps to mentally associate it with the English word initial. It shares the same origin as other useful Italian terms such as iniziare (to begin), inizialmente (initially, at the …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Cibo (food)

Today we’re going to be looking at the most common and colloquial term for food in Italian: cibo (masculine, plural: cibi). Derived from the Latin cibus meaning food, it refers to any nutritious substance that living organisms eat or drink. In Italy, life revolves around the preparation and enjoyment of good food (cibo buono / …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Facile (easy)

The Italian word for easy or simple is facile. As you’ve probably guessed, it shares the same origin as the English word facile (meaning simplistic). Both come from the Latin facilis meaning easy. The singular facile is used to describe both masculine and feminine subjects and there is only one plural (facili). Non è facile …

Read more