Italian Word of the Day

The word squisito in Italian has two possible translations depending on the subject in question. IPA: /squi·ṣì·to/ When talking specifically about food, drink or any other sustenance, squisito best translates as delicious. In fact, it is a more accurate translation than the similar-sounding delizioso, an adjective whose primary translations are adorable or charming. To discover all the … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Squisito (delicious, exquisite)

Today's post is all about man's best friend! The word for dog in Italian is cane (plural: cani), which is easy to remember as it sounds similar to the word canine. It comes from the Latin canis meaning dog. IPA: /ˈka.ne/ The feminine of cane is cagna (bitch). In addition to referring to a bad or nasty woman just as in English, it can also be a pejorative term for an actress or a singer with … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Cane (dog)

The word for garden in Italian is giardino (masculine, plural: giardini). Both come from the French jardin which in turn derives from the Germanic gart or garto. IPA: /dʒarˈdino/ Giardino can refer to any kind of garden, from the small variety (giardinetto) to the stately kinds that surround large houses. Some of the most popular types include: giardino di fiori = flower gardengiardino … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Giardino (garden)

The Italian word frutta, like the word fruit in English, is a singular collective noun that refers to the category fruit in general, or a collection of fruit on display in a basket. It may also specifically denote the fruit course Italians tend to consume at the end of lunch. IPA: /ˈfrut.ta/ It differs from the countable masculine noun frutto (plural: frutti) which refers to a single item of … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Frutta (fruit)

My husband and I are extremely lucky live just a stone's throw away from the beach, which translates as spiaggia (feminine, plural: spiagge) in Italian. It is a derivative of the now-obsolete word piaggia which means a variety of things including slope, shore and land. IPA: [ˈspjaddʒa] Below are the verbs you'll most often see used with the word spiaggia in context: andare alla / in … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Spiaggia (beach)

Many teenagers and some unfortunate adults suffer terribly from brufoli (masculine, singular: brufolo), the Italian word for pimples, zits or spots. An alternative spelling for brufolo is bruffolo with two Fs. Both are considered correct. IPA: /brù·fo·lo/ According to Treccani, the word is thought to be a blend of the Latin terms verruca (wart) and rufulus (reddish, ruddy). The way you'd … [Read more...] about Italian Word of the Day: Brufolo (pimple)