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. IPA: /tʃipol.la/ 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 twenty different types known … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Cipolla (onion)

When talking about the dark as it relates to nighttime or the absence of light, Italians use the adjective buio. IPA: /bù·io/ The ending of buio changes depending on the gender and number of the subject it modifies. For example: vicolo buio (dark alley) = masculine singularnotte buia (dark night) = feminine singularvicoli bui (dark alleys) = masculine pluralnotti buie (dark nights) = … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Buio (dark)

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. IPA: /o.tʃea.no/ Just as in English, Italians ofter refer to the ocean as il mare (the sea), even though technically seas are smaller in size and have different geological characteristics. There are five oceans on the planet, … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Oceano (ocean)

Arancione (plural: arancioni) is the word for the colour orange in Italian. IPA: /a.ranˈtʃo.ne/ 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. Taken by Shadiac - Public Domain The word arancio … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Arancione (orange)

Traditionally in Italy, people have four meals a day: colazione (breakfast), pranzo (lunch), merenda (afternoon snack) and cena (dinner or supper). IPA: /'tʃe.na/ By adding the suffix -one onto the end of cena (feminine, plural: cene), you get the word cenone meaning big supper. Cenare is the verb meaning to have supper or to dine whereas dinnertime translates as ora di cena. Stasera … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Cena (dinner)

The word for milk in Italian is latte (masculine, plural: latti). IPA: /ˈlat.te/ 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 latte as we know it in English is actually called a latte macchiato in Italian. If … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Latte (milk)