Italian Lesson of the Day
Saturday December 31, 2005
The Italian partitive article (l'articolo partitivo) is used to indicate imprecise or approximate quantities. It appears before singular nouns (del miele, del caffè, del burro) as well as before plural ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Saturday December 31, 2005
Today's word: crocevia.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
La Casa Bianca
Friday December 30, 2005
Wondering where all the Machiavellian intrigue takes place? In Rome there's the Palazzo Montecitorio, where La Camera dei Deputati (Chamber of Deputies) is located. Palazzo Madama is Il Senato della ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Friday December 30, 2005
Today's word: lupo.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Beppe Grillo
Thursday December 29, 2005
Il Blog di Beppe Grillo è uno spazio di comunicazione del noto comico genovese, creato per confrontarsi direttamente con le persone, su temi come la politica, l'ecologia, l'economia, l'informazione e ... Read More
Eat Lentils and Sausage While Wearing Red Underwear
Thursday December 29, 2005
It could be a new way to turn your amante on - but it's also an Italian recipe for good luck in the new year! According to tradition, wearing red ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Thursday December 29, 2005
Today's word: tra.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Stressing Italian Verbs
Wednesday December 28, 2005
While the infinitive forms of both first-conjugation Italian verbs and third-conjugation Italian verbs always have the accent on the final -are or -ire, second-conjugation Italian verbs are often pronounced with ... Read More
Italian Slang
Wednesday December 28, 2005
essere un po' di fuori exp. to be a little wacky, to be out of one's mind; (lit.): to be a little bit out.
Italian Word of the Day
Wednesday December 28, 2005
Today's word: vecchio.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian Proverbs
Tuesday December 27, 2005
Chi è causa del suo male piange se stesso.English translation: He who has created his own evil cries over the same.Idiomatic meaning: He who has made his bed must lie ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Tuesday December 27, 2005
Today's word: uomo.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Parli Berluschese?
Monday December 26, 2005
According to 2006 Nuove Parole, a dictionary of Italian neologisms that was published this week by Sperling and Kupfer, 14 words have entered Italian that take as their stem the ... Read More
Italian Definite Article
Monday December 26, 2005
The Italian definite article (l'articolo determinativo) is used before titles such as il signor Rossi and la professoressa Ciampi, and abstract nouns such as la libertà and la matematica. It ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Monday December 26, 2005
Today's word: zucchero.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Merry Christmas from About Italian Language!
Sunday December 25, 2005
The community members of the About Italian Language forums wish everyone a Buon Natale! Vi auguro un Buon Natale e un Felice Anno Nuovo!
Italian ABC's
Sunday December 25, 2005
U is for uova.
Italian Word of the Day
Sunday December 25, 2005
Today's word: che.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian Lesson of the Day
Saturday December 24, 2005
Mom and dad, your brothers and sisters, grandpa and your Aunt Millie. They're all special people, and so there's a rule just for them. In the plural form, the Italian ... Read More
Italian Christmas Carols
Saturday December 24, 2005
"Era la notte prima di Natale e tutta la casa era in silenzio..." is the first line to the Christmas carol 'Twas the night before Christmas in Italian. Interestingly ... Read More
Italian Nativity Scene
Saturday December 24, 2005
At the Gallerio Umberto in Naples is an elaborate Nativity scene which takes weeks to assemble by the "maestro presepaio di Napoli" (Nativity master of Naples).
Italian Word of the Day
Saturday December 24, 2005
Today's word: singhiozzo.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian Christmas Jokes
Friday December 23, 2005
Balocchi, bisticci, indovinelli, beffe, scherzi, battute...Whether it's a game, a pun, a riddle, a hoax, a prank, or witty remark, Italians enjoy humor in all its forms, and Christmas-themed diversions ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Friday December 23, 2005
Today's word: classe.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Caro Babbo Natale
Thursday December 22, 2005
So what do you want for Christmas this year? How about a red Ferrari, a sweater from Zegna, a Gucci bag, or shoes from Salvatore Ferragamo? Write Babbo Natale a ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Thursday December 22, 2005
Today's word: conservazione.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Children's Activities for the Holidays
Wednesday December 21, 2005
Have a houseful of kids who are already bored with their holiday gifts? Has an arctic chill kept them inside day after day during what seems like an interminable vacation? ... Read More
Italian Slang
Wednesday December 21, 2005
essere nelle nuvole exp. to daydream; (lit.): to be in the clouds.
Italian Word of the Day
Wednesday December 21, 2005
Today's word: pronto.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Sing Italian, Learn Italian
Tuesday December 20, 2005
The Italian language is oftentimes described as musical, melodic, rhythmical, or sonorous, so it's no surprise that a member of the About Italian Language forums declares: Io volevo imparare la ... Read More
Italian Proverbs
Tuesday December 20, 2005
Chi dorme non piglia pesci.English translation: Who sleeps doesn't catch fishes.Idiomatic meaning: The early bird catches the worm.
Italian Word of the Day
Tuesday December 20, 2005
Today's word: tutto.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Housework and Babysitting Italian Style
Monday December 19, 2005
Need your villa cleaned or someone to watch your kids? How about a live-in to cook or babysit? From the Yahoo! Groups Italian comes this clarification about terms for domestic ... Read More
Italian Christmas Vocabulary
Monday December 19, 2005
The Italian language is rich in expressions and idioms, and Christmas time is no different. For example, durare da Natale a Santo Stefano means "to last from Christmas to St. ... Read More
Buon Natale! Christmas in Italy
Monday December 19, 2005
Green, white, and red - the colors of Italy's national flag, and the traditional Christmas colors as well. It may not be a surprise, then, that Christmas probably originated in ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Monday December 19, 2005
Today's word: uova.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian ABC's
Sunday December 18, 2005
T is for tartaruga.
Italian Word of the Day
Sunday December 18, 2005
Today's word: camicia.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian Lesson of the Day
Saturday December 17, 2005
When forming the plural of Italian nouns, the vowel endings change to indicate a change in number. For regular masculine nouns that end in -o, the ending changes to -i ... Read More
Italian Christmas Traditions
Saturday December 17, 2005
Italians have adopted some of the northern European traditions to celebrate Christmas. Nowadays, especially in northern Italy, a fair number of families decorate an evergreen tree in their home. Here ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Saturday December 17, 2005
Today's word: tifo.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian Web Site of the Day
Friday December 16, 2005
According to their Web site, Newsmap claims to be "an application that visually reflects the constantly changing landscape of the Google News news aggregator...its objective is to simply demonstrate visually ... Read More
Il Presepe: The Tradition of Crèches
Friday December 16, 2005
Christmas in Italy has many traditions, one of them being the crèche. Though now primarily used to denote the Nativity scene, "crèche" originally had the same limited meaning as "manger." ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Friday December 16, 2005
Today's word: adulto.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Panettone and Pandoro
Thursday December 15, 2005
Panettone, a traditional Christmastime cake, is originally from Milan (il panettone milanese). Typically, the sweet yeast bread, in the shape of a dome, contains candied orange and lemon zest, as ... Read More
Christmas Greetings in Italian
Thursday December 15, 2005
Once you get past Buon Natale, Buone Feste and Felice Anno Nuovo, what other Italian salutations are appropriate for holiday cards? For those with a poetic bent, there's: "Ti auguro ... Read More
Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey
Thursday December 15, 2005
Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey is a novelty record, sung in the mid-60's by Lou Monte, and a holiday staple in many Italian-American households. Monte was an American singer best ... Read More
Il Dunk
Thursday December 15, 2005
Pallacanestra, arbitri, and ufficiali di campo. Just a few vocabulary words that the Phoenix Suns will have to learn next year. According to the NBA, "...the Phoenix Suns will conduct ... Read More
Ho O Ho!
Thursday December 15, 2005
How would Babbo Natale pronounce that famous phrase? In Italian what is the difference between ho and o? Between ha and a?
Ho is the first person singular form of avere, ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Thursday December 15, 2005
Today's word: usare.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Writing Italian Numerals
Wednesday December 14, 2005
When Italians write down numbers as digits, they use the period to denote breaks between thousands, and the comma to indicate the decimal point - the exact opposite of what ... Read More
Italian Web Site of the Day
Wednesday December 14, 2005
The Gruppo Cultura Italia is a giornale informatico di lettere e cultura. The giornale can also be downloaded as a PDF document or sent to your e-mail address.
Italian Web Site of the Day
Wednesday December 14, 2005
Christmas diversions for children at Mio Caro Babbo Natale include games, songs, gift ideas, and letters to Babbo Natale (Santa Claus).
The Legend of La Befana
Wednesday December 14, 2005
Looking for a children's gift that combines a classic holiday saga with the Italian language? The Legend of La Befana is a new bilingual DVD that tells the story of ... Read More
Italian Christmas Music
Wednesday December 14, 2005
Want to hear canzoni di natale this holiday season? Tune in to Italian Christmas Music to hear famous instrumentals and traditional carols such as A Pasturedda, Tu Scendi dalle Stelle, ... Read More
La Serva Amorosa
Wednesday December 14, 2005
The Amorous Servant (or, in the language of the 18th-century Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni, La Serva Amorosa) was written in 1752 - and propelled by Goldoni's status in the ... Read More
Dialetto Romano, Romanesco, or Romanaccio?
Wednesday December 14, 2005
It's a never-ending discussion on the About Italian Language forums - standard Italian vs. Italian dialects. Recently the conversation centered on the proper term for the dialetto romano. Is ... Read More
Italian Slang
Wednesday December 14, 2005
essere in gioco exp. to be at stake.
Italian Word of the Day
Wednesday December 14, 2005
Today's word: telefono.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Tatuaggio Italiano
Tuesday December 13, 2005
Attenzione! Don't use an online translator if considering getting a tattoo in Italian. The results could be disastrous. Ask a native Italian - no, ask several native Italians and explain ... Read More
Italian Proverbs
Tuesday December 13, 2005
Chi di spada ferisce di spada perisce.English translation: He who lives by the sword dies by the sword.
Italian Word of the Day
Tuesday December 13, 2005
Today's word: adesso.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian Articles Indefinitely
Monday December 12, 2005
In Italian, the form of the l'articolo indeterminativo (indefinite article) is dependent on the initial sound of the noun it precedes. Uno is used for masculine words beginning with z, ... Read More
Learning Italian During The Holidays
Monday December 12, 2005
If you're planning to study Italian during the holiday, here's a list of seven tips to prep for your language program abroad this winter break, including building your Italian vocabulary ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Monday December 12, 2005
Today's word: valore.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian ABC's
Sunday December 11, 2005
S is for sole.
Italian Word of the Day
Sunday December 11, 2005
Today's word: fiuto.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian Lesson of the Day
Saturday December 10, 2005
You've heard it since grade school: What's a noun? A person, place, or thing. Nouns (i nome) are one of the first things that people learn, whether it's their native ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Saturday December 10, 2005
Today's word: là.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Euroscettici
Friday December 9, 2005
Exchanging money when traveling to Italy doesn't have to be complicated. Often the best rates are through your debit card or credit card using an ATM machine - check with ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Friday December 9, 2005
Today's word: mondo.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
iPod Speaks Italian
Thursday December 8, 2005
New software for the iPod in the form of an audio phrase book features four languages, including Italian, each with over 900 common phrases. With the iPod Italian Phrase Book ... Read More
Italian Language in the News
Thursday December 8, 2005
When life gives you lemons (or a lemon grove) make limoncello! When the holidays near, Italian teacher Magdalena Borea, of Cheverly Maryland, teaches her class how to make limoncello -- ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Thursday December 8, 2005
Today's word: riprendere.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Wednesday December 7, 2005
Today's word: brocca.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Parli l'Inglese?
Wednesday December 7, 2005
What do Italian schoolkids study as their foreign language? In the past, the most common foreign language taught in Italian schools was French; more recently, however, most schools have switched ... Read More
Italian Slang
Wednesday December 7, 2005
due parole exp. a few words; (lit.): two words.
Lucky 13?
Tuesday December 6, 2005
Italian superstitions include touching iron (instead of wood), upside-down bread, passing salt at the table, and the number 17 - in fact, the number 13 is considered lucky in Italian ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Tuesday December 6, 2005
Today's word: Carnevale.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian Proverbs
Tuesday December 6, 2005
Chi cerca trova.English translation: Seek and you shall find.
Studying Italian Influences Author
Monday December 5, 2005
In a fascinating article titled My Study of Italian Has influenced My Life the author, Paul Michael Cavallaro, relates how: "...through the study of Italian, I can finally take part ... Read More
Italian in the News
Monday December 5, 2005
A food columnist spends several weeks in Tuscany to immerse herself in the regional cuisine, and while learning to prepare such delicious recipes as Crostini di Fegatini (Chicken Liver Crostini) ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Monday December 5, 2005
Today's word: incuria.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Standard Italian
Monday December 5, 2005
Today, schoolchildren from all regions of Italy learn the standard Italian language, and perhaps also their regional dialect. Standard Italian has evolved from the times when it was a medieval ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Sunday December 4, 2005
Today's word: secolo.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian ABC's
Sunday December 4, 2005
R is for rana.
Italian Lesson of the Day
Saturday December 3, 2005
What time is it? is expressed in Italian by Che ora è? or Che ore sono? The answer is È + mezzogiorno (noon), mezzanotte (midnight), l'una (one o'clock), or Sono ... Read More
Italian Word of the Day
Saturday December 3, 2005
Today's word: pugile.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian Web Site of the Day
Friday December 2, 2005
Corriere dei Piccoli, a children's version of the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, has news, games, and many other resources.
Italian Word of the Day
Friday December 2, 2005
Today's word: incominciare.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More
Italian by the Numbers
Thursday December 1, 2005
How many people claim Italian as their madre lingua (mother tongue)? And where is Italian spoken? In Italy, out of a total population of 58 million people 55 million speak ... Read More
Italian Vocabulary in the News
Thursday December 1, 2005
Kyle Phillips, in this week's edition of the About Italian Cuisine newsletter, had this interesting comment about his favorite winter stews:
"When it gets cold out, and possibly wet - what ... Read More
Imbarazzante.it
Thursday December 1, 2005
Imbarazzante.it è un blog che tratta di attualità, news, sport, motori, tecnologia, belle donne, sesso, politica, videogames, gossip, tv, umorismo e satira!
Italian Word of the Day
Thursday December 1, 2005
Today's word: intelligente.
Hear a new word every day spoken in Italian by a native speaker and a phrase using the word in an example. The Italian Word of the Day ... Read More