Ferro (plural: ferri) may not seem like a very interesting word on the surface, but dig a little deeper and you’ll soon discover that it forms the basis of many terms and expressions in both Italian and English! Il ferro si usa solitamente per produrre acciaio. Iron is normally used to produce steel. For example, …
An island – or isola (feminine, plural: isole) in Italian – can be formed in three different ways. The first is when continental plates (placche continentali) collide and push land up above the ocean’s surface. The second is when underwater volcanoes (vulcani sottomarini) continuously erupt in one area, causing land to form. The third is through …
Gazing up at the sky on a dark clear night, it is difficult not to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of stars that are visible to the naked eye. Sometimes, if you’re lucky and find yourself in a dark area far away from the city lights, you may even catch a glimpse of the …
When I moved to Italy to become an au pair in 2008, I decided that instead of flying from London to Turin, I’d take the train. Despite lasting nearly nine hours, the journey was fantastic thanks to the views of the French countryside and the Italian Alps, one of the most stunning mountain ranges I’ve …
Air – or aria (feminine, plural: arie) in Italian – is fundamental to all life on earth. Without air, or more specifically oxygen (ossigeno), the human body can only survive for a few minutes before it begins to fail. In addition to being the means by which winged animals and machines fly (volare), it is …
The Italian word for flower is fiore (plural: fiori). This word can also be used to refer to a blossom of a tree. It is a fairly popular name for a girl or boy in Italy. il fioreun fiore i fioridei fiori Hai visto quanti bei fiori ci sono sul balcone? Have you seen how …