The word faticoso in Italian, which translates as tiring or strenuous, comes from the verb faticare which is how you would say to labour or to struggle. It shares the same origin as the word fatigue in English. Because it is an adjective, the ending changes depending on whether you are talking about a masculine, …
Whenever you have a shower, jump in the bath or visit the beach, one thing you should never forget is your trusty asciugamano (masculine, plural: asciugamani), which is the Italian word for towel. A compound word made up of the verb asciugare (to dry) and mano (hand), it literally translates as hand-dryer! Mi sono asciugato …
The word for courage or bravery in Italian is coraggio. It comes from the Latin cor meaning heart. If you are facing an intimidating situation, you may want to find ways to pluck up your courage, which in Italian translates as farsi coraggio or trovare il coraggio. È nei momenti più difficili che bisogna farsi …
The word for book in Italian is libro (masculine, plural: libri), which comes from the Latin word liber. If you find it hard to remember, just think of the English word library! Before the Latin word came to mean book, it indicated the inner bark of some plants which, when dried, was used as a …
The word for quarantine in Italian is the extremely similar quarantena (feminine, plural: quarantene). Although today it refers to an indefinite period of isolation for people or animals exposed to infectious or contagious diseases, it was originally a 14th-15th century Venetian word used to describe a precise forty-day (quaranta giorni) period of isolation for the …
The word for uncle in Italian is zio (masculine, plural: zii). It comes from the Latin word thius and, as in English, is used to describe the brother of one’s mother or father, or the husband of one’s aunt (zia). Mio zio abita in Canada da dieci anni. My uncle has lived in Canada for …