Let’s start with the basics.

The word for summer in Italian is “estate”.

Now, I know what you may be thinking – “That’s an English word!”

Well, estate is actually a falso amico – false friend – meaning that it looks and sounds the same as in English but has a different meaning.

Rather than a patch of private land with a property, in Italy the word estate indicates “la stagione estiva”, the summer season.

Summer is the season of colori vivaci (bright colors) and attività all’aria aperta (outdoor activities).

“Le vacanze” are the holidays. The word is plural and feminine and you need it to wish someone happy holidays: “Buone vacanze”!

Where do Italians go for the holidays?

Most of them vanno in vacanza al mare (go on holiday to the seaside) to relax in spiaggia (on the beach) or fare un tuffo nell’acqua (make a splash in the water).

Of course they also enjoy spending time sotto l’ombrellone (under the beach umbrella) so they can prendere il sole (to sunbathe) while they play parole crociate (crosswords) and mangiano frutta fresca (eat fresh fruit).

If you have kids, trips to the seaside mean packing secchiello e paletta (bucket and spade) so you can happily costruire un castello di sabbia (to build a sandcastle) with them.

You may want to include braccioli (water wings) or un salvagente (a lifebuoy) in your valigia (suitcase) just in case the kids want to go for a swim.

Sea’s not everyone’s cup of tea so some Italians may opt for una gita in montagna (a trip to the mountains) or un viaggio all’estero (a trip abroad).

What about those who don’t go anywhere and just stay in town?

Many Italian cities and small villages host local celebrations such as sagre di paese (town festivals) and processioni (processions).

August 15th signals the peak of summer. It’s Ferragosto – Assumption Day – a national holiday in Italy. Offices are closed, as well as some shops and restaurants.

Italians are usually headed to the countryside or nearby beach resorts to cool down and enjoy un po’ di aria fresca (some fresh air).

Italian summer vocabulary

Occhiali da sole– sunglasses

Crema solare – sunscreen

Giornate soleggiate – sunny days

Caldo – hot

Costume da bagno – bathing suit

Spiaggia – beach

Mare – sea

Nuotare – to swim

Prendere il sole – to sunbathe

Ondata di caldo – heatwave

Cool Expressions

You may overhear Italians say the following phrases when the sun is shining and the temperature is rising.

Come picchia il sole! – How the sun beats down!

Un sole che spacca le pietre –- a blazing sun, a sun hot enough to fry an egg

Bello come il sole – beautiful as the sun

Il sole bacia i belli – the sun kisses the beautiful ones

Baciato dal sole – sun-kissed

Si crepa dal caldo –  It’s sweltering

Si bolle – It’s boiling hot

Useful words and phrases for your summer trip to Italy

I have carefully crafted a vocabulary cheat-sheet for you, so don’t forget to grab your copy in printer-friendly PDF format for free!

If you already have access to the Language Library, you can download it directly from there.

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The post How do you talk about summer in Italian? appeared first on Learn a new language while having fun and exploring the world | Runaway Daydreamer.

‘Mamma’ is often the first word babies utter in Italian.

It’s a simple, two-syllable word, with such a huge meaning.

In fact, “la mamma” is probably the most important figure in the life of Italians, so much so that Italian men are famous all over the world for being “mammoni” – “mama’s boys”.

“La mamma è sempre la mamma.”

That’s our motto: “The Mom is always the Mom”.

Le mamme italiane – Italian mothers – are quite dedicated and are widely known for being nurturing and caring.

In Italian we’d also say that “di mamma, ce n’è una sola” – “there’s just one mother” – meaning that we should be grateful for our one and only mother because she will always be there for us.

In Italy, Mother’s Day – La Festa della Mamma – falls on the second Sunday of May, like in the United States.

Sons and daughters usually present una poesia (a poem)  prepared at school in honor to their mothers. They’ll give it to their mom or recite it out loud in front of the whole family (typically before eating lunch).  

Mothers will also receive flowers and little cards, either bought or handmade.

Greeting cards may be adorned with drawings and messages flush full of adoration, like “Ti voglio tanto bene” (I love you so much) or “Sei la mamma migliore del mondo” (You’re the best mom in the world).

Do you know all about Mother’s Day in Italy?
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VIVA LA MAMMA!

“Viva la mamma affezionata a quella gonna un po’ lunga…”

Famous Italian singer Edoardo Bennato used to sing these lyrics in the 80’s. His song’s been a hit ever since and it’s perfect to celebrate this day all’Italiana (in Italian style!).

Italian Vocabulary for Mother’s Day

Mamma – mom

Madre – mother

Maternità – motherhood

Figlio – son

Figlia – daughter

Bigliettino di auguri – Greeting card

Regalo – present

Fiori – flowers

Festeggiare – to celebrate

Buona Festa della Mamma – Happy Mother’s Day

Tanti auguri, mamma – Happy Mother’s Day

Ho un regalo per te – I have a present for you

Ti voglio bene, mamma – I love you, mom

How well do you know Italian holidays?

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One thing you may have noticed about me is that I get ridiculously excited about holidays.

I love holidays and traditions.

Traditions are one of the reasons why foreign cultures intrigue me so much. I always ask myself: “What is it like to spend New Year’s Eve in Spain?” or “I eat Pandoro for Christmas, what do they eat in Croatia?”.

Since holidays are the best time to take a break, relax, and enjoy time with the family, some people find it harder to keep practicing their target language.

You too? Well, fear not!

I’ve prepared some fun Easter-themed activities so you can get your Italian language practice even when your mouth is full of chocolate and you’re surrounded by eccentric Easter eggs.

In this article we’ll review together:

• Prepositions of place

• Open Questions

• Gender Agreement

Before we get started, don’t forget to download your fill-in-the-blank workbook!

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Italian Prepositions of Place

Bunnies like to move around and this gives us the perfect excuse to review the main prepositions of place in Italian – le preposizioni di luogo.

Shall we look for Easter bunny together? Where is he? Where did he go? Dov’è il coniglio di Pasqua? 

Il coniglio di Pasqua è dentro l’uovo. Easter bunny is inside the egg.
Il coniglio di Pasqua è sotto l’uovo. Easter bunny is under the egg.

• sopra – on
• sotto – under
• davanti – in front of
• dentro – inside
• dietro – behind
• tra/fra – between
• a sinistra – on the left
• a destra – on the right
• al centro – in the middle
• accanto / di fianco a – next to
• vicino – near
• intorno – around

Open Questions

We use open questions every time we want to formulate questions that can’t be answered with a simple yes or no answer.

We need interrogative words in order to do that, also known as WH-questions in English. Let’s see if you remember the Italian ones.

• Chi? – Who? Whom?
• Che?/Cosa? – What?
• Quando? – When?
• Dove? – Where?
• Perché? – Why?
• Come? – How?
• Qual/Quali? – Which?
• Quanto/a/i/e? – How much?

Genders & Agreement

In Italian, every noun has a gender – either masculine or feminine.  Nouns that end in -o are usually masculine, and those ending in -a are usually feminine.

Italian articles and adjectives must “agree” with nouns in terms of number and gender. So, if we’re talking about una casa – a house – we can use adjectives like bella and spaziosa to describe it. The endings always have to match.

Another example?

A nice boy is simpatico. → Il ragazzo è simpatico [masculine, singular]
A nice girl is simpatica. → La ragazza è simpatica [feminine, singular]
Nice boys are simpatici. → I ragazzi sono simpatici [masculine, plural]
Nice girls aresimpatiche. → Le ragazze sono simpatiche [feminine, plural]

Ahh, if only it were that simple!

Every rule has its exceptions and so does this one. There are words in Italian ending with -a or -e that are used to indicate both feminine and masculine subjects. There are also words ending in -a that are actually masculine instead of feminine (like il clima – the weather) and vice-versa. The article used will reveal you the gender.

Did you have fun?

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Italian Vocabulary for Other Holidays

• Valentine’s Day

• Carnevale

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The post Fun Easter Activities to Review Grammar + Vocabulary in Italian appeared first on Learn a new language while having fun and exploring the world | Runaway Daydreamer.

It’s Valentine’s day and there’s no better language than Italian to express love, passion, and romance.

It doesn’t matter who you are, you will steal the heart of anybody by whispering some Italian paroline dolci (sweet nothings) in their ear.

From the ever-charming “ti amo” (I love you) to the luscious “amore mio” (my love), I dare you not to succumb to the musicality of this language.  

Even the most passionate storia d’amore (love-story) of all times, Romeo and Giulietta, has an Italian vibe since it’s set in Verona.

Need I say more?

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been sharing love-related Italian words and phrases over Instagram and Facebook. A countdown to Valentine’s Day, one that combines love and education.

Want to impress your valentine? Read on and try to memorize the following vocabulary and romantic expressions.

Day 1: Il bacio

Un post condiviso da Runaway Daydreamer (@runawaydaydreamerblog) in data: 1 Feb 2017 alle ore 03:08 PST

Dammi un bacio! (Give me a kiss!)

Baciare (to kiss)

Non smettere mai di baciarmi (Never stop kissing me)

Baciamoci e abbracciamoci per ore (Let’s kiss and cuddle for hours)

Non posso vivere senza i tuoi baci (I can’t live without your kisses)

Day 2: Sei il mio mondo

Un post condiviso da Runaway Daydreamer (@runawaydaydreamerblog) in data: 2 Feb 2017 alle ore 10:03 PST

 Sei il mio mondo. You are my world.

Day 3: Il mio cuore batte solo per te

Un post condiviso da Runaway Daydreamer (@runawaydaydreamerblog) in data: 3 Feb 2017 alle ore 00:53 PST

Il mio cuore batte solo per te. My heart beats only for you.

Il mio cuore ti appartiene (My heart belongs to you)

Mi fai battere forte il cuore (You make my heart beat faster)

Il mio cuore è tuo (My heart is yours)

Mi hai rubato il cuore. (You stole my heart)

Day 4: Lettera d’amore

Un post condiviso da Runaway Daydreamer (@runawaydaydreamerblog) in data: 4 Feb 2017 alle ore 04:02 PST

Lettera d’amore. Love letter.

Mi ha scritto una lettera d’amore (He wrote me a love letter)

Vorrei che qualcuno mi mandasse lettere d’amore scritte a mano (I wish somebody would send me handwritten love letters)

Scrivere una lettera d’amore è il miglior modo per esprimere ciò che provi (Writing a love letter is the best way to express how you feel)

Gli scriverò una lettera d’amore per San Valentino (I will write him a love letter for Valentine’s Day)

Day 5: Rose rosse

Un post condiviso da Runaway Daydreamer (@runawaydaydreamerblog) in data: 5 Feb 2017 alle ore 07:55 PST

Rose rosse. Red roses.

Questo mazzo di rose rosse è il mio regalo per te (This bouquet of red roses is my gift to you)

Le ho dato un mazzo di rose rosse per San Valentino (I gave her a bouquet of red roses for Valentine’s Day)

Rose rosse per te, tesoro (Red roses for you, sweetheart)

Day 6: Anime gemelle

Un post condiviso da Runaway Daydreamer (@runawaydaydreamerblog) in data: 6 Feb 2017 alle ore 08:12 PST

Anime gemelle. Soul mates.

Sono la persona più fortunata del mondo. Ho sposato la mia anima gemella (I’m the luckiest person in the whole world. I married my soul mate!)

Francesco e Marta sono perfetti l’uno per l’altra. Sono anime gemelle (Francesco and Marta are perfect for each other. They are soul mates)

Sono single. Sto ancora aspettando la mia anima gemella (I’m single. I’m still waiting for my soul mate)

Day 7: La mia dolce metà

Un post condiviso da Runaway Daydreamer (@runawaydaydreamerblog) in data: 7 Feb 2017 alle ore 08:08 PST

La mia dolce metà. My better half.

Trascorrerò le vacanze con la mia dolce metà. Non potrei essere più felice (I’ll spend the holidays with my better half. I couldn’t be happier)

Stasera la mia dolce metà torna a casa. Non vedo l’ora! (Tonight my better half comes back home. I can’t wait!)

Sei la mia dolce metà. Significhi tutto per me (You’re my better half. You mean the world to me)

Day 8: Piccioncini

Un post condiviso da Runaway Daydreamer (@runawaydaydreamerblog) in data: 8 Feb 2017 alle ore 08:46 PST

Piccioncini. Love birds.

Guarda quei due piccioncini! (Look at those two love birds!)

Lasciamo i due piccioncini da soli. Sono così innamorati (Let’s leave these two love birds alone. They’re so in love)

Federico e Laura hanno negato la loro relazione, ma sembrano due piccioncini (Federico and Laura denied their relationship, but they look like two love birds)

Day 9: Occhi a cuore

Un post condiviso da Runaway Daydreamer (@runawaydaydreamerblog) in data: 9 Feb 2017 alle ore 10:57 PST

Occhi a cuoricino. Heart eyes.

*Cuoricino literally means “little heart”, but you can also say “occhi a cuore.”

Lei ti piace e non puoi negarlo. Hai gli occhi a cuoricino (You like her and you can’t deny it. You’ve got heart eyes)

Hai una cotta per Alberto? Lo stavi guardando con gli occhi a cuoricino

(Do you have a crush on Alberto? You were looking at him with heart eyes)

Gli occhi a cuore non mentono (Heart eyes don’t lie)

Day 10: Cenetta romantica

Un post condiviso da Runaway Daydreamer (@runawaydaydreamerblog) in data: 10 Feb 2017 alle ore 11:02 PST

Cenetta romantica. Romantic dinner.

Venerdì ho appuntamento con Davide per una cenetta romantica (I have a romantic dinner with Davide on Friday)

Vorrei che andassimo a fare una cenetta romantica il giorno di San Valentino (I wish we could go out for a romantic dinner on Valentine’s Day)

Non possiamo andare al cinema stasera. Ho promesso a Maria di portarla fuori per una cenetta romantica (We can’t go to the movies tonight. I promised Maria I’d take her out to a romantic dinner)

Day 11: Io e te

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Io e te. Per sempre. Me and you. Forever.

Day 12: Mi fai arrossire

Un post condiviso da Runaway Daydreamer (@runawaydaydreamerblog) in data: 12 Feb 2017 alle ore 10:08 PST

Mi fai arrossire. You make me blush.

Smettila. Non guardarmi in quel modo. Mi stai facendo arrossire! (Stop it. Don’t look at me like that. You’re making me blush!)

Lui ti piace! Stai arrossendo! (You like him! You’re blushing!)

Oh no, non farmi arrossire! (Oh no, don’t make me blush!)

Day 13: Mi sento a casa con te

Un post condiviso da Runaway Daydreamer (@runawaydaydreamerblog) in data: 13 Feb 2017 alle ore 09:18 PST

Mi sento a casa con te. I feel at home with you.

Ti amo. Mi fai sentire a casa (I love you. You make me feel at home)

Non importa dove andiamo, quando sono con te mi sento a casa ( It doesn’t matter where we go, when I am with you I’m home)

La mia casa è ovunque tu sia (Home is wherever I’m with you)

Day 14: Buon San Valentino!

Un post condiviso da Runaway Daydreamer (@runawaydaydreamerblog) in data: 14 Feb 2017 alle ore 01:23 PST

Buon San Valentino. Happy Valentine’s Day.

 San Valentino si festeggia il 14 febbraio (Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14)

 Ogni anno gli innamorati si scambiano piccoli doni, bigliettini e dolcetti il 14 febbraio (Each year on February 14th, lovers exchange small gifts, cards, and sweets)

Don’t forget to spread the love by sharing this article with someone you care about.

Buon San Valentino! Valentine’s day in the Italian language
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