Italian Word of the Day: Baffo (whisker / moustache)

When I first met my husband, he had a distinctive moustache and goatee, but since we had our son, he’s chosen to go clean-shaven. Honestly, I can’t say which look I prefer! In Italian, the word for moustache (or mustache) is the plural form of baffo, which is baffi. Baffo on its own refers to …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Allibito (stunned / shocked)

If you are shocked or stunned by something to the extent that all colour drains from your face, a great word you can use to describe this feeling in Italian is allibito. allibito shocked / stunned Allibito is an adjective whose ending changes in accordance with the gender and number of the subject. If the …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Spiritoso (witty / funny / smart-alecky)

There are two possible interpretations for the adjective spiritoso (feminine: spiritosa, plural: spiritosi / spiritose) in Italian. spiritoso On one hand, it characterises a witty, clever, or funny person, or something, such as a joke (battuta) or response (risposta), that is witty or entertaining. Daniele fa sempre battute spiritose. Daniele always makes witty jokes. On …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Bosco (woods)

On the weekend, one of our favourite pass-times as a family is going on a walk in the woods. In Italian, woods translates to bosco. bosco wood(s) / woodland Bosco is a masculine noun, derived from the West Germanic busk or bosk, with its plural form being boschi. Here are its definite and indefinite articles: …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Arruffato (messy / ruffled / matted)

Last Christmas, I bought my son three adorable little stuffed owls with the softest fur imaginable. Fast-forward to July, and they all looked like something the cat dragged in. In Italian, the word arruffato perfectly describes the disheveled, ruffled, tangled or matted state of hair or fur, whether it’s on a person, animal, or well-loved …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Rossetto (lipstick)

Italian word "rossetto"

In Italian, the name for the cosmetic that many women put on their lips (le labbra) in order to look more glamorous is rossetto (lipstick). rossetto lipstick Rossetto is the diminutive form of the colour rosso, which means red, so the literal translation is “little red.” The suffix is -etto, which can also be seen …

Read more