Italian Word of the Day: Capra (goat)

Last week, we took our son to a county fair, where a variety of farm animals were on display. The goats—known as capre in Italian—were the most eager of them all. They were so enthusiastic to eat from my son’s hand that they accidentally nipped his fingers. Needless to say, he has been keeping his …

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Italian Word of the Day: Genitore (parent)

Since becoming a genitore (parent), my life has been turned on its head. Tempo libero has become a distant dream, and every day is a whirlwind of activities and responsibilities. Yet, despite the challenges, the joy and fulfilment I find in watching my little boy grow and thrive make every moment worthwhile. genitore parent Genitore …

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Italian Word of the Day: Baffo (whisker / moustache)

When I first met my husband, he had a distinctive moustache and goatee, but since we had our son, he’s chosen to go clean-shaven. Honestly, I can’t say which look I prefer! In Italian, the word for moustache (or mustache) is the plural form of baffo, which is baffi. Baffo on its own refers to …

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Italian Word of the Day: Spiritoso (witty / funny / smart-alecky)

There are two possible interpretations for the adjective spiritoso (feminine: spiritosa, plural: spiritosi / spiritose) in Italian. spiritoso On one hand, it characterises a witty, clever, or funny person, or something, such as a joke (battuta) or response (risposta), that is witty or entertaining. Daniele fa sempre battute spiritose. Daniele always makes witty jokes. On …

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Italian Word of the Day: Bosco (woods)

On the weekend, one of our favourite pass-times as a family is going on a walk in the woods. In Italian, woods translates to bosco. bosco wood(s) / woodland Bosco is a masculine noun, derived from the West Germanic busk or bosk, with its plural form being boschi. Here are its definite and indefinite articles: …

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Italian Word of the Day: Rossetto (lipstick)

Italian word "rossetto"

In Italian, the name for the cosmetic that many women put on their lips (le labbra) in order to look more glamorous is rossetto (lipstick). rossetto lipstick Rossetto is the diminutive form of the colour rosso, which means red, so the literal translation is “little red.” The suffix is -etto, which can also be seen …

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