What do you reach for when you need to blow your nose? An old-fashioned handkerchief or a disposable tissue? Regardless of your choice, you’ll find solace in knowing that the Italian word for both of these items is the same: fazzoletto. fazzoletto handkerchief / tissue /faz·zo·lét·to/ – [fattsoˈletto] Fazzoletto is the diminutive of the archaic term fazzolo, a large handkerchief worn around the neck or head. It is derived from the Latin faciolum, from facies (“face”). Being a masculine noun, it takes the following definite and indefinite articles: il fazzoletto = the handkerchief ..read more

Zizzania, commonly referred to as darnel, poison darnel, darnel ryegrass, or cockle in English, is an herbaceous weed similar to wheat found in cultivated fields. It adversely affects the plants in the surrounding soil, causing damage to agricultural crops. Thus, the expression seminare zizzania literally translates to “sowing darnel.” seminare zizzania to sow discord This expression refers to the act of subtly and maliciously fostering or creating disagreement and bad feelings between people. In English, we might use any of the following expressions: to sow discord to rock the boat to dr ..read more

Lullabies are a universal part of our upbringing, transcending cultural backgrounds. These comforting tunes serve as gentle reminders of our early years, and we find joy in passing them down through generations. In this article, we introduce nine widely recognised Italian lullabies. They are sure to evoke cherished memories of your own childhood or your child’s early years, especially if you grew up in an Italian household! 1. Ninna nanna, ninna oh Lullaby, lullaby oh Italian words Ninna nanna, ninna oh, questo bimbo a chi lo do? La darò al lupo nero che la culla un anno intero. Ninna n ..read more

One of the most useful travel phrases you can learn in preparation for a trip to Italy is Come si dice…? which means How do you say…? Come si dice…? How do you say…? If, in English, you want to speak about people in general rather than a specific individual, there are many options: one > “One goes to the market.” you > “You can eat a lot of delicious things.” they > “In England, they speak English.” people > “In Italy, people speak Italian.” In Italian, you can express the impersonal nature of a phrase with the impersonal pronoun si. Let’s take a look at how these English phr ..read more

Scaramanzia is a particular subset of superstizione (superstition) aimed at averting perceived negative influences associated with people, places, and objects through the use of phrases such as magic spells, gestures, and items like amulets and lucky charms. While these practices vary across cultures and time periods, they are prevalent worldwide, and Italy is no exception. scaramanzia superstition /sca·ra·man·zì·a/ – [skaramanˈtsia] A classic example of scaramanzia is the belief that saying or doing something could prevent or even cause the opposite outcome. For instance, there’s the notio ..read more

The word for the bark that covers a tree is corteccia. The word originates from the Latin corticĕa, the feminine form of the adjective corticĕus, derived from cortex -tĭcis, meaning bark. corteccia bark /cor·téc·cia/ – [korˈtettʃa] Here are the definite and indefinite articles you should use with this feminine noun. Note that in its plural form, cortecce, the -cia ending becomes -ce rather than -cie. la corteccia = the bark le cortecce = the barks una corteccia = a bark delle cortecce = some barks Tocca la corteccia dell’albero: è molto ruvida. Touch the bark of the tree: it’s very rough ..read more

Movies offer a straightforward and effective method to enhance your Italian skills, but television series can be even more impactful. They tend to be longer, spanning multiple seasons and offering numerous storylines. This extended format allows for greater immersion in the characters, their dialogue, and the overall linguistic style of the series. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps to find Italian series on Netflix, provide you with a curated list of recommended shows, and share some tips for watching other productions in Italian. Are you ready to dive into the world of Italian b ..read more

Today we are going to investigate a beginner verb that every learner should master from day one – chiamare – which means to call. chiamare to call /chia·mà·re/ – [kjaˈmare] Chiamare is a regular -ARE verb, which means that it should be conjugated in the following manner in the present tense: io chiamo = I call tu chiami = you call (informal, singular) lui chiama = he calls lei chiama = she calls Lei chiama = you call (formal, singular) noi chiamiamo = we call voi chiamate = you call (plural) loro chiamano = they call Two etymologically related terms are chiamata (call) and chiama (rol ..read more

One of my favourite Italian words actually refers to a rather banal household object that we use multiple times throughout the day: the humble rubinetto, which is known as a tap in the UK, a faucet in the US, or a spigot in technical terms. rubinetto tap / faucet /ru·bi·nét·to/ – [rubiˈnetto] The etymology of this word is quite interesting compared to other words we’ve covered on this website thus far. It derives from the French robinet, which is the diminutive form of robin, a now obsolete term for a sheep. This is because early taps were often in the shape of a sheep’s head. Being a mascu ..read more

Today we are investigating an idiomatic expression with an exact English equivalent, just to make life a little easier on you! The idiom is ammazzare il tempo, which literally means to kill time. ammazzare il tempo to kill time Ammazzare is a verb in Italian that signifies to kill or murder. While uccidere is a common synonym, the former conveys a notion of a more brutal death devoid of any mercy. Of course, in this context, ammazzare is being used figuratively, just like the English to kill. It describes the act of occupying oneself, usually while waiting for something else to happen. Co ..read more