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Sicilian Flowers Posted by Serena on Sep 4, 2015
The other day as I walked into my parents’ apartment, I heard their carer, Luisa, talking on her cell phone in a ‘foreign’ language. My first thought was: “Oh, Luisa is speaking Romanian!” I was probably influenced by the fact that here in Pontremoli the vast majority of badanti (carers) are in fact Romanian. However…
You’re Learning Italian … Really?! Posted by Serena on Aug 31, 2015
Addirittura is one of those words that often gets overlooked in classes and grammar books, but happens to be quite common, and very useful. It has two main uses: 1. addirittura?! = a polite exclamation of surprise and/or disbelief. Translation: really?!, seriously?! Synonyms: davvero?! sul serio?! Here are a few typical examples of its use…
Anyone Want A Kitten? Posted by Serena on Aug 26, 2015
… or four! Book now to avoid disappointment. Today’s article, hot from the press, is in Italian without a translation. Have a go at it, and if you need any help or simply find it too difficult, let us know via the comments section or an e-mail, and we’ll be happy to give explanations or…
How to Use Uno in Italian Posted by Serena on Aug 21, 2015
In my last post we looked at the use of the definite article lo and its plural form gli. Today we are going to find out how to use the indefinite article uno (a/an) works. Rules for using uno: 1. when a masculine word begins with the letter ‘s’ followed by another consonant, e.g.: uno…
Lo and Behold! Posted by Serena on Aug 19, 2015
One of the many mysteries of the Italian language is the crazy amount of ways of saying ‘the’. Not content with having il,i,la,le and l’ the Italians just had to come up with lo and gli! Well, ours is not to reason why … but to find out when and how. Rules for using lo/gli…
A Fresh Summer’s Rain Posted by Serena on Aug 12, 2015
It’s raining! After weeks and weeks of unbearable heat, the rain has finally brought us a breath of new life. It’s like a sudden awakening of the senses that only a master of words such as Gabriele D’Annunzio can render in an authentic way. In his famous poem La Pioggia nel Pineto (The Rain in…
The King’s Sausage Posted by Serena on Aug 3, 2015
The King’s Sausage! I bet that title caught your attention … but the King’s Sausage is not what you might think it is! Il Salame del Re (this is the Italian name) is a wonderful rustic sweet that my aunt Rina used to make for us children. It’s also known as Salame di Cioccolato (Chocolate…