Italian Word of the Day: Baracca (hut / shed)

The word baracca (feminine, plural: baracche) in Italian, which comes from the Catalan barraca, literally translates as a hut, shed or shack used as temporary shelter for people, animals or goods. It should be quite easy for English speakers to remember as it shares the same origin as the word barracks. Learn with our video …

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Italian Word of the Day: Lavorare (to work)

The verb to work translates as lavorare in Italian. It comes from the Latin verb laborare and shares the same origin as the words labor and laboratory in English. Learn with our video and podcast The video is also available on our YouTube channel. The podcast episode can be found on Podbean, Google Podcast, Apple …

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Italian Word of the Day: Viavai (comings and goings)

Viavai (masculine, plural: viavai) is the word Italians use to talk about the busy movement of many people or things, especially in and out of a place. In English, possible translations include coming(s) and going(s), bustle and to and fro. Learn with our video and podcast The video is also available on our YouTube channel. …

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Italian Word of the Day: Scatola (box / container)

The generic word for any box or container equipped with a lid, used for storing or transporting goods, is scatola (feminine, plural: scatole) in Italian. Learn with our video and podcast The video is also available on our YouTube channel. The podcast episode can be found on Podbean, Apple Podcast and Spotify. Keep scrolling for …

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Italian Word of the Day: Viola (purple / violet)

The colour purple is known as viola in Italian. It comes from the Latin word of the same spelling. When used as an adjective, it remains invariable, or in other words, it has the same form in both the singular and the plural. For example: When used as a noun, it is always masculine (il …

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Italian Word of the Day: Bebè (baby)

The word bebè (masculine, invariable) is an affectionate way of saying baby or infant in Italian. It entered the language via the French bébé which itself comes from the English baby. Although the most commonly used terms for baby are bambino for a boy and bambina for a girl, they are somewhat problematic as they …

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