Italian Word of the Day: Giocoso (playful)

In this article, we delve into the essence of the Italian adjective giocoso, which usually translates as playful or jovial. Giocoso is an adjective whose form changes depending on what it describes. In its masculine form, it ends in -o and in its feminine form, -a. The respective plurals are -i and -e. It comes …

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Italian Word of the Day: Cannuccia (drinking straw)

I recently began using a standing desk and under-the-desk treadmill at work, and although the set-up has been revolutionary for my health and mood, I initially found it incredibly difficult to drink water while walking, as it would splash all over the desk. (Not a pretty sight, believe me!) Fortunately, I managed to resolve the …

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Italian Word of the Day: Basso (low / short)

Basso is one of those Italian words that has numerous translations in English, so let’s not waste any time and dive right in! Basso is first and foremost an adjective that comes from the Latin bassum. To make it feminine, simply swap the -o out for an -a to make bassa. The respective plural forms …

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Italian Word of the Day: Penna (pen / feather)

Before the arrival of electronic devices with a keypad or keyboard, it would have been difficult to imagine life without the humble pen. For centuries, it served as an essential tool for recording our thoughts, telling stories, and documenting important events. Pen in Italian translates as penna, a term derived from the Latin pinna meaning …

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Italian Word of the Day: Mangione (big eater)

Do you know someone who is a voracious eater, gobbling up everything in sight? If so, you might have a mangione on your hands! Mangione is a playful Italian word that means “big eater” or “glutton“. It is the combination of the verb mangiare (to eat) and the suffix -one which is used to describe …

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Italian Word of the Day: Borraccia (water bottle)

A word we use a lot around our house is borraccia, which has a number of translations including water bottle, canteen, flask and thermos. Why? Because my three year old has the terrible habit of constantly misplacing his! Borraccia is a feminine noun that comes from the Spanish borracha, meaning “leather jug”. It takes the …

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