Italian Word of the Day: Sagoma (outline / shape)

The word sagoma in Italian refers to the profile or shape of an object that has aesthetic or functional importance such as, for example, the architecture of a building, a car or a piece of furniture. Some possible translations include outline, silhouette, contour and profile. It entered the language from the Greek ‘sakoma’ (meaning ‘counterweight’) …

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Italian Word of the Day: Sedia (chair / seat)

The Italian word for chair is sedia. It comes from the ancient sieda which in turn derives from the verb sedere (to sit). Sedia is a feminine noun, and the plural is sedie. la sediauna sedia le sediedelle sedie A chair is normally made up of the following parts: Il sedile e lo schienale di …

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Italian Word of the Day: Voglia (desire / craving / birthmark)

Voglia is a frequently used Italian noun that has various translations depending on the context, including desire, craving, longing or wish. Fewer people know that it also means birthmark, as we’ll discover further down. The word comes from the verb volere (to want). Voglia is a feminine noun. The plural is voglie. la vogliauna voglia …

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Italian Word of the Day: Chiave (key)

Chiave is one of those words in Italian with multiple translations, but let’s begin by looking at the most diffused meaning which is key. Chiave is a feminine noun. The plural is chiavi. la chiaveuna chiave le chiavidelle chiavi Two kinds of keys you definitely don’t want to misplace are le chiavi di casa (house …

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Italian Word of the Day: Acciuga (anchovy)

My favourite pizza topping of all time, with perhaps the exception of gorgonzola cheese, is the anchovy. This word translates as acciuga (feminine) in Italian, though it is usually seen in its plural form acciughe (anchovies). acciuga anchovy Here are the definite and indefinite articles you need to use with this noun: This small oily …

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Italian Word of the Day: Ghianda (acorn)

The word for acorn in Italian is ghianda. The fruit of the oak tree (quercia), it has the appearance of a smooth oval nut with a rough cup-like hat called a cupule (cupola). ghianda acorn Ghianda is a feminine noun, so it takes the following definite and indefinite articles: Acorns make up the diet of …

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