One of the first things all learners of a second language try to memorise are the colours. Today we're taking a look at the colour brown which translates as marrone (plural: marroni) in Italian. IPA: /marˈro.ne/ Il nostro cane è marrone scuro come il cioccolato. Our dog is dark brown like chocolate. Dog laying in snow - FreeStocks (Public Domain) The diminutive form of … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Marrone (brown)

I've always found it fascinating that the word paese (masculine, plural: paesi) in Italian can refer to one of the largest places where people live (country or nation), as well as one of the smallest (town or village). IPA: /paˈeze/ Whether you mean one or the other is explicated by the context, as you can see by comparing the two examples below. L'Italia è un paese … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Paese (country, town)

The word for young lady in Italian is signorina (feminine, plural: signorine). It derives from the word signora meaning lady or woman. IPA: /si·gno·rì·na/ The suffixes -ino / -ina are used to form diminutives, so signorina literally means little lady. L'ho conosciuta quando era una bambina ma ora è diventata una signorina. I met her when she was a child but now she has become a young … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Signorina (young lady)

The Italian word for apple is mela (feminine, plural: mele) and the tree upon which they grow is called melo. IPA: /ˈme.la/ Both words derive from the Latin word "mālum" meaning "any tree-fruit fleshy on the outside and having a kernel within." (Lewis & Short Latin Dictionary) Fructibus - Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication Today it forms the basis of many … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Mela (apple)

The word for night in Italian is notte (feminine, plural: notti). IPA: /ˈnɔtːe/ Even if you've only been studying Italian for a few short weeks, you will certainly have encountered the greeting buona notte meaning good night. Buona notte Alice, e grazie ancora di tutto! Good night, Alice, and thanks again for everything! Occasionally, Italians use the word sera (evening) … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Notte (night)

Are you feeling romantic now that St. Valentine's Day is just around the corner? Then let's take a look at the word for heart in Italian, which is cuore (masculine, plural: cuori). IPA: [ˈkwɔːre] As in English, the word cuore can refer to the muscular organ that pumps blood around the body, the symbol ♥ represented by two equal curves meeting at a point, or the centre of a person's thoughts … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Cuore (heart)