Italian Word of the Day: Ragione (reason / right)

In most instances, the Italian word ragione directly corresponds to our English word reason. First and foremost, both reason and ragione denote the human ability to think, comprehend, and engage in logical reasoning. Some common expressions related to this definition of ragione include: Sono contento che tu abbia ascoltato la voce della ragione. I’m glad you …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Domanda (question / request)

When learning a new language, it is always important to ask questions, even if we feel self-conscious or embarrassed! The Italian word for question is domanda, which is derived from the verb domandare (to ask / inquire / request). Domanda is a feminine noun, so it takes the following definite and indefinite articles: Three verbs …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Sera (evening)

Following the morning (mattina) and the afternoon (pomeriggio), we experience the penultimate phase of the day, which is sera (evening). This feminine noun, whose plural form is sere, takes the following definite and indefinite articles: Sera is derived from the late Latin sēra, which is an ellipsis of sera dies (“late part of the day”). …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Squagliare (to melt)

Anyone who knows me is aware of my fondness for whimsical words, and that’s precisely what prompted me to write about the verb squagliare today! I recently came across it in a friend’s Facebook post in which he describes the feeling of “melting” in the 97°F heat currently engulfing Italy. (I must admit, it’s at …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Mese (month)

Humans have devised various ways to divide time, encompassing the tiniest increments of seconds and minutes to the vast expanse of years, decades, and centuries. Tucked right in the middle lies the unassuming month, known as mese in Italian, serving as the fundamental unit for dividing our calendar year. Mese is a masculine noun in …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Momento (moment)

It should be pretty easy to guess the meaning of the word momento just by mentally removing the word-final o! Momento comes from the Latin momentum, derived from the root of movere meaning “to move”. Because it is a masculine noun, it takes the following definite and indefinite articles: Aspetta un momento, non sono ancora …

Read more