Italian Word of the Day: Valigia (suitcase)

Most people  – with perhaps the exception of my minimalistic father who only ever travels with a teeny tiny bag – pack their belongings inside a valigia (feminine, plural: valige or valigie) when they go on holiday. The word derives from the Latin valisia, which possibly came from the Gaulish *valisia meaning leather bag. Some verbs …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Treno (train)

The word for train in Italian is, you guessed it, treno (masculine, plural: treni). It entered the language via the French word train, which in turn comes from the verb traîner meaning to drag. Some common verbs you will see used with treno include: Viaggiare in treno può essere veloce quanto prendere un aereo. Traveling …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Borsa (bag)

One possible translation for the word bag in Italian is borsa (feminine, plural: borse)*. *Note: Another word that translates as bag in Italian, along with its related forms sacchetto and sacca, is sacco. Sacco generally denotes any large sack, such as a sack of potatoes (sacco di patate) or a trash bag (sacco della spazzatura), …

Read more

Italian Phrase of the Week: Mi sono perso/a! (I’m lost!)

If you are travelling around Italy and somehow manage to lose your way despite having invested in a reliable map and travel book, fear not – you can always rely on the tried and tested method of asking the locals for help! 😀 To inform someone that you are lost in Italian, you can use …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Vacanza (vacation, holiday)

The word for vacation or holiday in Italian is vacanza (feminine, plural: vacanze). Derived from the Latin vacantia, it is used for both the fixed holiday periods between school terms and periods of recreation or leisure, often spent away from home. If you are referring to an extended period such as the summer break or …

Read more

Italian Word of the Day: Zaino (backpack)

The word for backpack, knapsack or rucksack in Italian is zaino (masculine, plural: zaini). lo zainouno zaino gli zainidegli zaini It refers to any bag with shoulder straps, including those carried by hikers, soldiers, and school children. Non mi serve una valigia. Lo zaino è più che sufficiente. I don’t need a suitcase. The backpack …

Read more