Italian Word of the Day: Furbo (cunning / clever)

The adjective furbo in Italian is used to describe a person who is good at avoiding deception and traps, getting out of dangerous situations, or working a situation to his or her advantage. In English, you could describe such a person as cunning / sly / crafty if you are being critical of them, or …

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Italian Word of the Day: Gratificante (rewarding)

The word gratificante in Italian can translate as rewarding, gratifying, satisfying or fulfilling. It is almost always used in reference to a job, activity or relationship that provides satisfaction and pleasure. Learn with our video Gratificante comes from the verb gratificare meaning to be rewarding or to be gratifying, but also to compensate when talking …

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Italian Word of the Day: Sottobicchiere (coaster / mat)

The word for a mat or coaster that you put under cups, mugs, bottles and glasses to avoid staining or wetting a surface is sottobicchiere (masculine, plural: sottobicchieri) in Italian. Learn with our video It is the combination of two words: sotto meaning under or underneath and bicchiere meaning drinking glass. Sottobicchieri can be made …

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Italian Word of the Day: Sfarfallare (to flit / to flutter)

The verb sfarfallare is the fusion of the prefix s-, the noun farfalla (butterfly) and the verb ending -are. There are more meanings associated with this word than you might think, so let’s take a look at them now! Learn with our video and podcast Let’s begin with the most literal definition, which is to …

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Italian Word of the Day: Stonato (out of tune / tone-deaf)

The adjective stonato comes from the verb stonare which means to sing / play out of tune. The feminine equivalent is stonata and their respective plurals are stonati and stonate. Stonato can be used to describe a naturally tone-deaf person, a professional singer whose voice is off-key or flat for some reason, or a musical …

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