As our son’s birthday draws near, our thoughts have turned to wrapping regali (gifts), baking his torta (cake), and of course, birthday decorations. A classic decoration that makes an appearance at most feste (parties) is the palloncino, the Italian word for balloon. palloncino balloon Palloncino is the diminutive form of pallone, a word that means …
Have you ever asked an Italian what time the next bus is coming, only to get a beautifully vague answer like verso le 9 (around 9) or verso mezzogiorno (around midday)? Sure, there’s wisdom in that answer (who can predict public transport!), but it also introduces a useful word to know in Italian: verso. verso …
I’m sure we’ve all met one of these people at least once in our lives: the colleague who laughs a bit too enthusiastically at the boss’s bad jokes, the student who showers the professor with compliments that would make even a Hallmark card blush. The kind of person who’s always super nice to someone important, not …
Whilst touring Montepulciano, one of our guides recounted the story of how, in 2016, a man had entered La Chiesa di San Biagio and after broking the protective glass in front of the fresco depicting the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus, stole her crowns. Unfortunately, the thief was never apprehended, nor were the crowns ever …
The other day, my son and I were in the living room, playing shop with his stuffed animals. At one point, he pretended that one of the toys walked out of his supermarket without paying for an apple, and in that moment, I realised I didn’t have a clue how to translate the word shoplifter …
Is it a noun? A verb? Perhaps an adverb? Or even a filler word? The answer is: all of them! Appunto is a word we use a lot in Italian and in many different contexts, which makes it a must-know. Let’s explore its many personalities. appunto 1. Appunto = I note down Appunto is the …