In Italian, there are two predominant terms for watermelon, and the one you end up using the most will depend on where you live in Italy. My husband is from Turin in the north-west of Italy, and the only word he’s ever used for watermelon is anguria (feminine, plural: angurie). This term is also dominant …
In Italian, the word matrimonio (masculine, plural: matrimoni) can mean both wedding and marriage depending on the context. If you’re struggling to remember this word, I’ve found that it helps to think of the English word matrimony. Il matrimonio è durato otto mesi. The marriage lasted eight months. Il matrimonio si è tenuto in gran …
The usage of the word mondo (masculine, plural: mondi), which translates as world, is more or less the same in Italian as it is in English. In its most literal sense, it can refer specifically to the physical planet that we inhabit (Earth), or to other heavenly bodies outside of our solar system. L’astronauta riesce …
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that tesoro (masculine, plural: tesori) is the Italian word for treasure! The origin of both terms can be traced back to the Greek word thesauros (storehouse, treasure). Il pirata aveva seppellito il tesoro prima di morire. The pirate buried the treasure before he died. However what …
The word for trousers or pants in Italian is pantaloni. If you find yourself struggling to remember this term, simply think of the English word pantaloons! Both the Italian pantaloni and English pantaloons derive from the French pantalon, which in turn owes its name to the famous Commedia dell’Arte character, Pantalone, whose costume consists of …
A staple food of Italian cooking is rice or riso in Italian. In particular, it is used in the popular dish risotto which can be made with any variety of short-grain rice including Aroborio, Carnaroli, Vialone, Nano, and Baldo. Unlike other kinds of rice, the short-grain kind has a higher starch content and absorbs less …