A word that many English speakers find confusing when they first start learning Italian is parente (masculine and feminine, plural: parenti). Despite bearing a strong resemblance to the English word parent, it actually means relative or family member in modern Italian. Both parente and parent derive from the Latin parens whose meaning is the same …
Baleno (masculine) is one way of saying flash or flare in Italian. It derives from the verb balenare which means to flash (in a literal sense) or to pop into one’s head (in a figurative sense). By extension, it can be used to refer specifically to a flash of lightning, though the synonyms lampo, fulmine …
The word for will, as in the mental power by which one controls one’s thoughts, actions and decisions, is volontà in Italian. It shares the same origin as the English word volition. In addition to being a feminine noun, it is also invariable, meaning that the plural is spelled the same way. Buona volontà (goodwill) …
The word for a child’s lullaby or cradle song in Italian is ninnananna (feminine, plural: ninnananne), also spelled as two separate words: ninna nanna. The word is a combination of ninna and nanna, both of which are synonyms for il dormire (sleep). They are generally only appropriate for use with children unless meant in a …
The word for bee in Italian is ape (feminine, plural: api). It comes from the Latin apis of the same meaning. Honeybees (api domestiche or api comuni) live in beehives (alveari) or colonies (colonie) which may consist of as few as 20,000 or more than 100,000 bees. The roles in the hive are as follows: …
In celebration of Thanksgiving, we’ve chosen ringraziamento (masculine, plural: ringraziamenti) as today’s Italian word of the day. Formed of the verb ringraziare (to thank) and the suffix -mento, it translates as thanks / thank-you, thanksgiving or gratitude. Below are some useful verbs you’ll often see paired with ringraziamento: fare i (propri) ringraziamenti = to thank, …