The word for onion in Italian is cipolla (feminine, plural: cipolle). They are a key ingredient in Italian cooking along with garlic, olive oil and tomatoes. Onions can be divided into three broad categories – red onions (cipolle rosse), white onions (cipolle bianche) and copper onions (cipolle ramate) – and within these categories, there are …
When talking about the dark as it relates to nighttime or the absence of light, Italians use the adjective buio. The ending of buio changes depending on the gender and number of the subject it modifies. For example: Just as in English, buio can be used in a figurative sense to describe a troublesome or …
The terms ocean and oceano (masculine, plural: oceani), which derive from the Greek ōkeanos, refer to the largest expanses of salt water on the earth’s surface. Just as in English, Italians often refer to the ocean as il mare (the sea), even though technically seas are smaller in size and have different geological characteristics. There …
Arancione (plural: arancioni) is the word for the colour orange in Italian. It derives from the word arancia which is what Italians call the fruit of the same name. Questa arancia è più verde che arancione. Non sarà ancora matura. This orange is more green than orange. It probably isn’t ripe. The word arancio translates …
Traditionally, in Italy, people have four meals a day: colazione (breakfast), pranzo (lunch), merenda (afternoon snack) and cena (dinner or supper). By adding the suffix -one onto the end of cena, you get the word cenone meaning big supper. Cenare is the verb meaning to have supper or to dine whereas dinnertime translates as ora …
The word for milk in Italian is latte (masculine, plural: latti). An easy way to remember this word is to think of the English term lactose or the popular hot drink available at most cafés (latte or caffè latte). But before you go ordering a latte in Italy, it is important to remember that a …