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How To Empty The House Posted by Geoff on Jul 6, 2017
For those of you who need a bit of help with Serena’s article Come Svuotare La Casa, here’s my English translation. N.B. This is not a literal word for word translation, but rather an interpretation. Being able to interpret, rather than translate word for word is an important skill that will help you become more…
Italian Transitive And Intransitive Verbs Posted by Geoff on Jun 30, 2017
Why is it so important to understand the difference between verbi transitivi (transitive verbs) and verbi intransitivi (intransitive verbs)? Read on to find out … What are Transitive and Intransitive verbs? Transitive: The word transitive comes from the Latin transire meaning ‘to pass’, ‘to cross’, ‘to go beyond’, therefore it describes actions that move from…
The Sounds Of Italy Posted by Geoff on Jun 26, 2017
What noise annoys an oyster? A noisy noise annoys an oyster! This, I remember, was a popular tongue twister when I was a kid. Of course, it makes even less sense when translated into Italian: Che rumore da fastidio ad un’ostrica? Un rumore rumoroso da fastidio ad un’ostrica! Sounds can be divided into three main…
The Italian Subjunctive – 5. Pluperfect Tense Posted by Geoff on Jun 19, 2017
This is the final article in our series about the subjunctive. Today we’ll be studying il congiuntivo trapassato (the pluperfect subjunctive). Constructing the congiuntivo trapassato The congiuntivo trapassato is used when talking about the past to refer to things that had happened, e.g. ‘I had gone’, ‘you had finished’ etc. In order to construct the…
Caldo Africano Posted by Geoff on Jun 16, 2017
Admit it, dear readers, we do spoil you a bit with our instant translations. And I’d hate for you to fall into bad habits. Sooner or later you’re going to have to fly solo. Here’s a simple account of how we spent yesterday afternoon … in Italian … WITHOUT a translation! Of course, we’re not…
Gli Odori Dell’Estate Posted by Geoff on Jun 14, 2017
It’s hot, we leave the windows ajar day and night to keep the house fresh. Gli odori dell’estate (the smells of summer) flow into the house … Profumo = Scent Just outside the kitchen door is a tall bushy gelsomino (jasmin). It gives off un profumo inebriante (an inebriating scent), especially in the evening. Il…
Chi E’ Pazzo? Posted by Geoff on Jun 12, 2017
How do we define what is ‘normal’, or decide who is sane and who crazy? We live in a world full of stark contradictions, of atrocities committed in the name of lofty ideals. We try to dig at the truth but find our judgement obfuscated by the smoke and mirrors of “alternative facts”. Caparezza is…