Tag Archives: Italian idiomatic expressions
A Bit More About Tanto Posted by Serena on Mar 24, 2015
Really … more about tanto?! Sì, è vero, c’è tanto tanto! (Yes, it’s true, there’s a lot of tanto!). In our last article on the topic Every Now and Then we looked at five of the most common uses of tanto. Today, I’m going to delve down into the deep dark recesses of il mio…
Every Now and Then … Posted by Geoff on Mar 12, 2015
Written by Serena (and accidentally published under Geoff’s name!) A while back I received a request from a reader asking me if I could shed some light on the word tanto and the many different ways in which it’s used. So, first of all, my apologies to Paul for taking così tanto tempo (such a…
Prendere: To Take? Posted by Serena on Oct 30, 2014
We all know that prendere means to take, as in prendiamo l’autobus o andiamo a piedi? (shall we take the bus or walk?), or prendi questa borsa (take this bag). However prendere is one of those verbs that can be used in many different situations. Let’s look at some of its most common uses: 1…
A Devil of a Blog! Posted by Geoff on Jul 17, 2014
I love discovering interesting expressions. Every language is full of them, and Italian is no exception. Some of these expressions have obvious meanings, some are similar in both Italian and English, and others are just downright obscure. What the Devil can that mean? I ask myself in English, or Che Diavolo vuol dire? in Italian…
Italian Fruit and Vegetable Proverbs and Sayings Posted by Serena on Jun 12, 2014
They say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, true or not we have exactly the same expression in Italian: una mela al giorno leva il medico di torno. However, perhaps because of our national passion for food, we have many more proverbs and idiomatic expressions involving fruit and vegetables. Let’s have…
Diamo i Numeri Posted by Serena on Feb 21, 2014
There are many things that we take for granted in our mother tongue, and it’s not until someone actually points them out to you that you say to yourself “hmmm, that’s interesting”. This happens a lot with me and Geoff. As Italian is Geoff’s second language he tends to spot words and expressions that I…