Boredom often slips in uninvited, like that old friend who barges in unannounced, disrupting our day with a “surprise!” But not everyone sees it as an unwelcome guest. Take Leopardi, the renowned poet – he considered boredom as humanity’s most profound emotion. To him, it revealed the truth that nothing truly satisfies us, leaving us grasping for the infinite. And in more contemporary times, Angelina Mango won this year’s Sanremo, Italy’s premier music festival, with her hit “La Noia” – yes, you guessed it, “Boredom”! So, whether you choose to battle boredom or embrace it with open arms, here ..read more

The English word space carries various meanings, and the good news for learners is that the Italian equivalent, spazio, covers nearly all of these meanings as well. spazio space /spà·zio/ – [ˈspattsjo] Before we dive in, let’s quickly explore its etymology. Spazio derives from the Latin spatium, a word of uncertain origin that encompasses the same meanings as its Italian counterpart. It is a masculine noun that begins with sp-, so it takes the following definite and indefinite articles: lo spazio = the space uno spazio = a space gli spazi = the spaces degli spazi = some spaces First, we h ..read more

In Italy you’ll often hear the saying La famiglia viene prima di tutto (family comes before everything). And boy, do we mean it! In Italy, la famiglia (family) isn’t just a concept; it’s the centerpiece of life. Picture lively gatherings during the feste comandate (major bank holidays) sprinkled with the occasional dash of drama, nonni (grandparents) turning into babysitting wizards so their kids can snag a moment of peace or get work done, and don’t forget all those cherished family recipes, guarded with love and tradition.  It’s no surprise then that conversations about family here are ..read more

Today we’re going to be investigating a lovely word that every learner of Italian should master – dunque – which translates to so, then, therefore or well depending on the surrounding context. dunque so / then / therefore / well /dùn·que/ – [ˈdunkwe] Dunque comes from the Vulgar Latin *dunquam, which is a cross of the Vulgar Latin dunc and Latin unquam (meaning “ever”). In its most basic form, dunque is a conjunction used to introduce a consequence, much like the words therefore and so in English. For example: Penso, dunque esisto. I think, therefore I am. Hai sbagliato, dunque devi paga ..read more

A bastian contrario is a polemical individual who adopts opinions and attitudes that go against those held by the majority, so fare il bastian contrario can be translated as “to be contrary” or “to be a contrarian.” fare il bastian contrario to be contrary Before we take a look at the word bastian, which has a far more complex origin story, let’s take a quick look at the word contrario. It is an adjective that means contrary, opposite, contradictory or against, and can become feminine (contraria) or plural (contrari / contrarie). You will often see it in the expression al contrario, which ..read more

Today we’re going to be looking at the short yet fun word oibò! According to Treccani, oibò (also written ohibò with an “h”), is an exclamation of onomatopoeic origin used to express a range of emotions, including indignation, nausea, contempt, surprise, and disapproval. Some possible translations include oh, well, oh my, darn and my goodness. oibò /oi·bò/ In spoken Italian, it isn’t an exclamation you will hear regularly, but once you start reading in Italian—especially children’s storybooks—you will encounter it quite often. Ohibò, non mi aspettavo di vederlo oggi. Oh my, I didn’t expect ..read more

Whether you love them or hate them, many men choose to grow a beard at some point in their lives. In Italian, the word for this type of peli del volto (facial hair) is barba. barba beard /bàr·ba/ – [ˈbarba] The word comes from the Latin barba of the same spelling and meaning. Barba is a feminine noun, so it takes the following definite and indefinite articles: la barba = the beard una barba = a beard le barbe = the beards delle barbe = some beards If you want to say that someone has a beard, you can use either the verb avere (to have) or portare (to wear). Mario porta la barba da anni. M ..read more

Italian is one of the most popular languages to learn worldwide, and it’s no wonder—it sounds absolutely beautiful! Whether you’re just starting out or have been learning for a while, why not give this basic Italian test a try? Can you beat my mom’s score of 25 out of 30? Let’s see how well you do! Important: The correct answer, along with a simple explanation, is provided below each image. Enjoy! Question 1: How do Italians greet each other in the morning? Buonasera BUongiorno buona giornata bella giornata Answer: BUONGIORNO The correct answer is buongiorno, which translates to good day ..read more

So, you’ve decided to explore the beautiful landscapes of Italy with an epic on the road trip? Fantastico! You’re in for an unforgettable adventure packed with breathtaking views and delightful surprises at every turn. But before you hit the road, here’s a brief guide with some essential Italian driving vocabulary to help you navigate like a true local. How to drive in Italy First things first, you need to be at least 18 years old with a valid patente di guida (driving license) to get behind the wheel in Italy. Got your license at 16? You’ll have to wait a couple more years, sorry. For those ..read more

If you want to describe a surface that is rough or uneven rather than smooth (liscio), you can use the adjective ruvido. ruvido rough / uneven /rù·vi·do/ – [ˈruvido] Since ruvido is an adjective, it has masculine, feminine and plural forms: un tavolo ruvido / dei tavoli ruvidi = an uneven table / (some) uneven tables una superficie ruvida / delle superfici ruvide = a rough surface / (some) rough surfaces The word is derived from the Vulgar Latin *ru(g)ĭdum, is a derivative of ruga, meaning wrinkle. Questo tavolo è troppo ruvido. Dobbiamo scartavetrarlo. This table is too rough. We need t ..read more