Italian Word of the Day: Visto che (given that / since)

Today we will be talking about visto che, a very useful Italian conjunction that can be translated in numerous ways, including: Visto che introduces a causal clause (a clause that expresses the reason of the main clause) with the verb in the indicative mood, not the subjunctive. Visto che era stanco, l’ho messo a dormire …

Read more

How to Pronounce “Ciabatta” in Italian – Pronunciation Guide

The ciabatta (feminine, plural: ciabatte) is a classic type of Italian bread made from wheat, flour, water, salt, yeast and olive oil. Recognisable by its long flat shape, large holes and crunchiness, it is a very popular choice for sandwich-making across the world. You may be surprised to learn that the ciabatta isn’t an ancient …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Nero (black)

The word for the darkest colour in existence owing to the complete absence or absorption of light is nero in Italian, or black in English. Its form changes to nera when modifying feminine nouns, and their respective plurals are neri and nere. Un vestito nero means a black suit, whereas a person who is vestito …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Solletico (tickle)

The Italian word for tickle is solletico (masculine, plural: solletichi). It normally appears in the expressions fare il solletico (to tickle, or literally, “to do the tickle”) and soffrire il solletico (to be ticklish, or literally, “to suffer from the tickle”). A synonym for fare il solletico is the verb solleticare. If you are going …

Read more

Pronunciation Guide: How to pronounce “Calzone” in Italian

A calzone is a speciality pizza, originating from Naples and Puglia, that is folded in half before being baked in the oven or fried. Each region in Italy has its own distinct variation, but popular fillings include mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta, pecorino, ham, salami, vegetables and tomato sauce. Origin of the word: The word calzone was …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Tempo (weather)

The Italian word for weather is tempo (masculine, plural: tempi). It comes from the Latin tempus meaning time – and yes, before you say anything, we are fully aware that tempo is also the word for time in Italian. However, we won’t be covering this definition here, as it deserves a blog post all of …

Read more