An Italian word that many of our readers have asked us to write about is the verb attraversare. If you haven’t watched many Hollywood films set in Italy, you might be curious about why this word is so popular. Let’s discover the reason now! attraversare to cross / go through In the movie Eat Pray …
Wouldn’t you agree that we all need a little more joy in our lives? The Italian word for this positive sentiment is gioia. gioia joy Gioia is a feminine noun that takes the following definite and indefinite articles: Gioia, similar to the English word joy, can denote both a state of being and the source …
The Italian word for the ornaments we hang on the tree at Christmastime is addobbo (or more specifically addobbo natalizio), derived from the verb addobbare, meaning “to adorn, decorate, or deck out.” Because it is a masculine noun beginning with a vowel, it takes the following definite and indefinite articles: Ho comprato degli addobbi da …
What’s the plant that encourages people to share a kiss underneath it? Well, it’s mistletoe, of course, known as vischio in the Italian language! vischio mistletoe Vischio is a masculine noun that takes the following definite and indefinite articles: Si sono baciati sotto al vischio. They kissed underneath the mistletoe. Rooted in Norse mythology, mistletoe …
One of the most recognisable symbols of Christmas is the nutcracker, known as a schiaccianoci in Italian. Schiaccianoci is made up of two parts: the verb schiacciare (to crush) and the plural noun noci (walnuts). It is an invariable masculine noun, which means its form does not change in the plural. Dove vogliamo mettere lo …
One of the most amusing memories I have from the past year involves strolling around Cardiff with my dad and young son, who speaks Italian as his first language. Out of the blue, my dad turns to me and asks, “What does ‘a-choo‘ mean?” It took me a moment to realise he had caught onto …