Well done all of you who sent in your answers to our December quiz, we’re really impressed! Santa is also very happy that you have been good students and he’s processing your Christmas lists as I write. Don’t forget to clean those chimneys.

So, I asked you to insert the missing word into each sentences. Here are the sentences with the correct words inserted and translation for all the other possible answers. Let’s find out how you did.

1. I’m looking for a nice maroon fabric to make myself a new skirt with. Sto cercando una bella stoffa bordeaux per farmi una gonna nuova
Choose from:
tessuto = fabric
panno = fabric
fabbrica = factory
stoffa = fabric

N.B. In theory there could be three correct answers here, however, only one of them is feminine: (una bella) stoffa. Both tessuto and panno are masculine

Ambra: “mmmmm, com’è morbido il cuscino di Geoff ….. buona notte ….”

2. Giovanni has got a really morbid imagination. Giovanni ha un’immaginazione molto morbosa
mortale = mortal
morbida = soft
moribonda = dying
morbosa = morbid

3. Have you heard the latest rumours about Cinzia and Carlo? Hai sentito gli ultimi pettegolezzi su Cinzia e Carlo?
rumori = noises
voci = rumours/gossips
dicerie = rumours/gossips
pettegolezzi = rumours/gossips

N.B. here, pettegolezzi is the correct answer because it is masculine (gli ultimi) whereas both voci and dicerie are feminine

4. Actually, I don’t feel like going to the party this evening. In effetti/in realtà non mi sento di andare alla festa stasera
Attuale = current/present
In effetti = in fact/actually
Attualmente = presently
In realtà = actually/to tell the truth

N.B. either in effetti or in realtà would work in this case

5. Giovanna is a really sensitive girl. Giovanna è una ragazza molto sensibile
sensuale = sensual
sensitiva = medium (spiritualist)
sensibile = sensitive
sensata = sensible

6. The doctor was very sympathetic. La  dottoressa è stato molto comprensiva
simpatica = likeable
comprensiva =sympathetic/understanding
simpaticamente =likeably/engagingly
cara = dear

7. So where do your parents live, Marco? Allora Marco, dove abitano i tuoi genitori?
progenitori = forefathers/ancestors
parenti = relatives
parentesi = brackets
genitori = parents

N.B. it’s also very common when talking about parents to simply say i tuoi (your parents), i suoi (his/her parents), i miei (my parents) etc.

8. My friend Michele lives on a farm. Il mio amico Michele abita in una fattoria
farmaco = drug/medicine
fabbrica = factory
fattoria = farm
farmi = make me

9. We must confront the manager about these new changes. Dobbiamo affrontare il manager a proposito di questi nuovi cambiamenti
conquistare = conquer
confrontare = compare
affondare = sink
affrontare = confront

10. I have to return this book to the library by tomorrow. Devo portare indietro questo libro alla biblioteca entro domani
bibliotecaria = librarian
bibliografia = bibliography
libreria = bookshop/bookshelf
biblioteca = library

11. Naughty readers who haven’t been studying our Italian blog won’t get any presents this year! I lettori cattivi, che non hanno studiato il nostro Italian blog, non riceveranno nessun regalo quest’anno!
presepio = nativity
regalo = present
presente = current/present/now
regole = rules