When English speakers (or more specifically Americans and Canadians) hear the word bar, they tend to think of an establishment that primarily serves alcohol, or alternatively, the counter in a pub or restaurant where one can order refreshments. The term derives from the metal or wooden barrier that is located along the length of the …
One of the primary translations for building in Italian, as in a physical structure with a roof and walls, is edificio (masculine, plural: edifici). If you find it difficult to remember, just think of the English word edifice! Both the Italian and English terms derive from the Latin aedificium of the same meaning. L’edificio è …
The word for garden in Italian is giardino (masculine, plural: giardini). Both come from the French jardin which in turn derives from the Germanic gart or garto. Giardino can refer to any kind of garden, from the small variety (giardinetto) to the stately kinds that surround large houses. Some of the most popular types include: …
My husband and I are extremely lucky live just a stone’s throw away from the beach, which translates as spiaggia (feminine, plural: spiagge) in Italian. It is a derivative of the now-obsolete word piaggia which means a variety of things including slope, shore and land. Below are the verbs you’ll most often see used with …
I’ve always found it fascinating that the word paese (masculine, plural: paesi) in Italian can refer to one of the largest places where people live (country or nation), as well as one of the smallest (town or village). Whether you mean one or the other is explicated by the context, as you can see by …
Strada (feminine, plural: strade) is an incredibly flexible word in Italian. Not only does it mean road or street in the literal sense, but it also has a couple of figurative meanings, as we’ll discover below. Io abito in strada San Giusto. È in campagna. I live on San Giusto street. It’s in the countryside. …