Daily Italian Words

The masculine noun equivoco is one way to translate the words misunderstanding, misinterpretation or crossed wires. If you are having trouble remembering this word, simply think of the adjective equivocal in English, which is just another way of saying ambigous or open to more than one interpretation<...

There’s nothing like standing at the bar counter, waiting for our foamy cappuccino, when someone leans in and whispers La sai l’ultima? (Literally, do you know the latest?). And just like that, our morning routine becomes a lot more interesting! 

I know, I know: gossiping is not exactly a noble hobby. But let’s be honest, we’re all guilty to some degr...

Something we all harbour, whether we want to admit it or not, are secrets – some fairly innocent, others more nefarious! In Italian, the word for secret is, quite simply, segreto.

segreto

Segreto is a masculine noun that takes the following definite a...

Sometimes there are words you cannot help but fall in love with, and for me, the verb sdrucciolare is one of them. It sounds just like what it describes – the act of slipping and falling (or nearly falling) on a very smooth and slippery surface.

sdrucciolare

to slip / to slide

Metterci una pietra sopra is an Italian expression meaning to definitively put an unpleasant matter or argument, or to put a painful memory to rest. The imagery is pretty clear – by placing a stone on top of something, it becomes impossible to see and easy to forget. In many ways, it is similar to the English “to let bygones by bygones,” “to forgive...