Archive by Author
An Italian Poetess Posted by Serena on Jul 6, 2016
I was in the mood for a poem. A poem full of beautiful words, which played with words in unexpected ways, a poem which was just plain poetry, music to my ears. So after much reading I finally turned to one of my favourite Italian poets, Alda Merini (1931-2009) known as la poetessa dei Navigli…
Idiomatic Expressions with the Verb Dare Posted by Serena on Jul 1, 2016
Some time ago we published a series of posts on the idiomatic uses of the verbs avere (to have) and fare (to do or to make). Today we’re going to take a look at the idiomatic uses of the verb dare (to give). Here’s a list of the most common ones with some practical examples…
At The Tourist Information Office in Italy Posted by Serena on Jun 29, 2016
Planning a trip to Italy? What might you want to ask when you find yourself at the local tourist information office? Here’s a short dialogue that will help you with the basics. N.B. Although this dialogue is set in Lucca it contains a lot of vocabulary which can be used in any tourist information office…
The Interview Posted by Serena on Jun 22, 2016
The other afternoon, as I was browsing through some second hand books, I found one by Mario Tobino, entitled Il Deserto Della Libia (The Libyan Desert). Mario Tobino (1910- 1991) was not just a famous prizewinning author, but also a notable psychiatrist who lived and worked for 35 years in the psychiatric hospital of Lucca…
Italian Chestnut Bread Posted by Serena on Jun 17, 2016
Here’s an unusual recipe from the Appennino Tosco Emiliano region, where chestnuts were the main staple food for centuries, il pane di farina di castagne (chestnut bread). This recipe involves the use of the vocabulary we explored in our last article: What Is Pasta? Note how the words pasta, impastare and impasto are used in…
Italian Modal Verbs Quiz – The Solutions Posted by Serena on Jun 14, 2016
WOW! well done everyone who had a go at our Modal Verbs Quiz, including those of you who are too shy to post your answers … yes, we know you’re out there. So, let’s see how you got on shall we? Here are the solutions: A. dovere = to have to relevant articles: I Must…
Italian Modal Verbs – A Quiz Posted by Serena on Jun 10, 2016
Here’s an opportunity to test your understanding of the Italian modal verbs dovere, potere, and volere. You’ll find all the information you need to complete this quiz in my recent series of articles on the topic. Links are given at the beginning of each section. Have fun, and please post your answers in the comments…