Ah, la gelosia! That passionate mix of love, doubt, and a few overreactions we’d rather forget. In Italian, this word sounds and means pretty much the same as “jealousy” in English, but it hides another meaning that might just surprise you. Curious? Let’s find out what it is! Gelosia But first, a quick grammar note: …
Casino is a word we use a lot in everyday Italian. But unlike in English, it has (almost) nothing to do with slot machines and James Bond. It comes from casa (house) combined with the diminutive suffix -ino, so it literally means “little house.” Sounds simple, right? Not really. This Italian word has a surprising …
A tormentone is an expression, catchphrase, buzzword, meme, or piece of music that is repeated ad nauseam via the mass media or word of mouth, gaining rapid popularity and widespread diffusion as a result. tormentone catchphrase / hit song Tormentone is a masculine noun, and the plural form is tormentoni. il tormentone un tormentone i tormentoni …
Today’s word is zerbino which, as exotic as it sounds, actually refers to the humblest of household objects: the doormat. It comes from the Arabic zirbiy which translates as either rug or cushion. zerbino doormat Zerbino is a masculine noun whose plural form is zerbini. Any masculine noun that starts with the letter z in …
In every aspect of life, there are inevitably winners and losers. The word for the former is vincitore, whereas the latter is our word of the day: perdente. perdente loser Perdente is a noun that can be either masculine or feminine. The plural form for both genders is perdenti with an -i on the end. …
Today we’re going to be taking a look at one of my favourite vegetables, the humble yet incredibly tasty carciofo. Unlike many Italian words, the word doesn’t have a Latin origin – rather, it comes from the Arabic kharshuf. It is the word, not only for the edible part of the plant, but also the …