Italian Word of the Day: Perdente (loser / losing)

cover image with the word “perdente” and its translation written on a notepad next to a cup of coffee

In every aspect of life, there are inevitably winners and losers. The word for the former is vincitore, whereas the latter is our word of the day: perdente. Perdente is a noun that can be either masculine or feminine. The plural form for both genders is perdenti with an -i on the end. The only …

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Italian Word of the Day: Carciofo (artichoke)

cover image with the word “carciofo” and its translation written on a notepad next to a cup of coffee

Today we’re going to be taking a look at one of my favourite vegetables, the humble yet incredibly tasty carciofo. Unlike many Italian words, the word doesn’t have a Latin origin – rather, it comes from the Arabic kharshuf. It is the word, not only for the edible part of the plant, but also the …

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Italian Word of the Day: Specchio (mirror)

cover image with the word “specchio” and its translation written on a notepad next to a cup of coffee

The Italian word for a mirror is specchio. It comes from the Latin speculum, which is a derivative of the Latin verb specere meaning to look. Specchio is a masculine noun. Take away the final -o and you have the plural, specchi. uno specchiolo specchio degli specchigli specchi There are two ways to express the …

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Italian Word of the Day: Intoppo (setback / hindrance)

If you find yourself regularly coming up against stumbling blocks while trying to realise your goals, you’ll definitely find the word intoppo useful! Intoppo is a masculine noun. The plural is intoppi. l’intoppoun intoppo gli intoppidegli intoppi Intoppo, which comes from the verb intoppare (to crash, collide, stumble), describes the act of colliding with an …

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Italian Word of the Day: Lago (lake)

The word for lake in Italian in lago, which derives from the Latin lacum of the same meaning. Lago is a masculine noun whose plural form in laghi. Remember to insert the letter ‘h’ between ‘g’ and ‘i’ to preserve the hardness of the ‘g’! il lago = the lakeun lago = a lake i …

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Italian Word of the Day: Sbaglio (mistake / error)

The noun sbaglio in Italian, which means mistake or error, is a derivative of the verb sbagliare (to make a mistake), which itself is a combination of the subtractive prefix s- and abbagliare (to blind, to dazzle). Sbaglio is a masculine noun, but because it starts with s + consonant, the definite and indefinite articles …

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