Sempre is an extremely common adverb in Italian that has different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. It comes from the Latin ‘semper’ of the same meaning. Learn with our video 1. Sempre = Always The translation for sempre that most learners encounter first is always. Just like the English word, …
An Italian adjective that means fond or attached is affezionato, which is the past participle of the verb affezionare (to grow fond). The feminine form is affezionata, whereas the respective plurals are affezionati (masculine) and affezionate (feminine). Learn with our video Whereas in English, we would say fond of (something) or attached to (something), Italians …
An Italian conjunction that allows you to express a conclusion or a cause-and-effect relationship is quindi. It usually translates as so or therefore in English. Both quindi, and its obsolete twin quinci (hence, thus), come from the late Latin eccum inde ‘from here‘. This locative meaning existed in archaic Italian, much like its Latin counterpart, …
The Italian word for a glass or cup from which one drinks is bicchiere (masculine, plural: bicchieri). It is thought to derive from a dialectal form of old French, or possibly the Greek βῖκος (bikos). Learn with our video Ho fatto cadere il bicchiere e si è frantumato in mille pezzi. I dropped the glass …
Accidenti! is one of the mildest interjections found in Italian. The plural of accidente (mishap or sudden illness), it is used to express a variety of emotions including wonder, anger and annoyance. Learn with our video Did you know that…?Accidenti is actually the ellipses of expressions such as ti arrivino degli accidenti or ti vengano …
The most literal translation for the verb spopolare in Italian is to depopulate. Formed from the prefix s- (which in this case denotes a removal or reversal) and the verb popolare (to populate), it is used when a group of people dies or moves away, reducing the population. Learn with our video L’epidemia ha spopolato …