Italian Word of the Day: Marciapiede (sidewalk / pavement)

The word for sidewalk (US) or pavement (UK) in Italian is marciapiede. Derived from the French ‘marchepied’ (running board), it is the combination of two words: ‘marcher’ (to walk) and ‘pied’ (foot). In Italian, it is composed of the verb marciare, which is a synonym of the more popular camminare (to walk), and piedi (feet). …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Siepe (hedge)

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

The word for a boundary formed by closely grown bushes or shrubs is known as a siepe in Italian. It derives from the Latin word saepes. Siepe is a feminine noun, and its plural is siepi. la siepeuna siepe le siepidelle siepi Some different kinds of hedges include: siepe viva = living fence siepe morta …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Sagoma (outline / shape)

The word sagoma in Italian refers to the profile or shape of an object that has aesthetic or functional importance such as, for example, the architecture of a building, a car or a piece of furniture. Some possible translations include outline, silhouette, contour and profile. It entered the language from the Greek ‘sakoma’ (meaning ‘counterweight’) …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Sedia (chair / seat)

The Italian word for chair is sedia. It comes from the ancient sieda which in turn derives from the verb sedere (to sit). Sedia is a feminine noun, and the plural is sedie. la sediauna sedia le sediedelle sedie A chair is normally made up of the following parts: Il sedile e lo schienale di …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: In quanto (as / since)

In quanto is a commonly used conjunctive phrase in Italian that translates in numerous ways, including since, as, and because. Non lo chiamo più in quanto non risponde mai al telefono. I don’t call him anymore as he never answers the phone. Less frequently it is followed by che (that) with no change in meaning. …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Voglia (desire / craving / birthmark)

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

Voglia is a frequently used Italian noun that has various translations depending on the context, including desire, craving, longing or wish. Fewer people know that it also means birthmark, as we’ll discover further down. The word comes from the verb volere (to want). Voglia is a feminine noun. The plural is voglie. la vogliauna voglia …

Read more