Do you know the excitement that makes your heart pound in the minutes leading up to the starting bell?
The anticipation that brings you to attention as you wait for the signal to go?
The way it feels to know …
Did you know there are two ways to say “to know” in Italian?
Sounds crazy, but it’s true!
In Italian, conoscere (to know) and sapere (to know) are both used quite commonly. You’ll find them in what you read and …
Are you considering traveling to that fine Italian Boot sometime soon?
Are you thinking that maybe it’s about time that you make that dream shopping trip to Italy come true?
As you know, Italy is home to one of the …
Let’s face it: Italian language learners are just like pizza—they come in many varieties.
Thin crust, stuffed crust, cheese, pepperoni or maybe just a plain garlic-and-cheese pie—there are as many pizzas as there are diners.
And Italian learners? There …
History, art, beaches, wine, pizza…
Let’s be honest: Living in Italy is amazing.
Unfortunately, it’s not possible for everyone to live in Italy—even though some of us dream of doing just that.
But, we can still glimpse the …
Italian language learners know many facts about Italy.
We know that Rome is its capital. We know that some incredible food is made there. We know that it’s an incredible country steeped in history.
But a lot of us don’t …
Are you planning a trip to Italy?
Maybe you’re thinking about exploring historic Rome or wandering through the vineyards in Tuscany.
But you might be wondering about Italian weather—a valid concern wherever you plan to travel. And you might be …
Learning Italian? Great!
No money? No problem.
The internet offers lots of free choices for Italian learners. That’s right: It’s possible to learn to speak Italian without ever touching your piggy bank.
But hold up before you dive into learning …
Picture this: You are hanging out in a chic club in Milan, listening to music and watching the action out on the dance floor when you suddenly hear, “Potrei guardarti tutto il giorno.” (“I could look at you all day.”)…
Do you sing along to music?
Do you memorize lyrics as if they’ll someday be the winning answer to a music lottery?
I have to admit, I do.
But do you realize that when you memorize lyrics, you’re actually …
Cos’è rosso e si muove su e giù? (What’s red and moves up and down?)
Un pomodoro in un ascensore! (A tomato in an elevator!)
You’re giggling, aren’t you?
That’s good because if you’re thinking of spending any time in …
Grammar.
There, I said it!
In any language, the word makes some people squeamish.
It can even evoke a feeling of frustration similar to trying to open a pistachio nut that has not been fully fleshed out.
By the way, …
The snow-laden beauty of the Italian Alps.
The warm, cheesy texture of pizza in Naples.
The smooth, glossy marble of the statues in Rome.
Italy is one of those glorious countries that has tons of character. It’s …
There’s a huge misconception that in order to speak and understand Italian (or any language) you must know a ton of vocabulary.
This is wrong!
Native speakers—of any language—across the globe know and use approximately 15,000 to 20,000 word families…
How do you turn one duckling into many? You might not like the answer:
Grammar.
There, I said it.
Did you shudder?
Many language learners do exactly that when they hear this word.
Until they learn that grammar is much …
Quick question here: Why are you learning Italian?
Really, think about it.
Why are you putting the time and effort in to grab these language skills? Why are you intent on pulling this beautiful language into your life?
There are …
“I think we all like to get away from our troubles and worries with a good book.”—Linda Lael Miller
I have a confession to make.
I’m a bibliophile.
I love books. I love reading. I love the incredible …
Every job has its tools.
You wouldn’t go on a trip without the correct gear or try your hand at painting without buying some brushes and paints.
It makes sense to assemble the resources you’ll need for any undertaking …
“Colors fade, temples crumble, empires fall but wise words endure.” — Edward Thorndike
We’ve all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words.
While that’s a perfectly fine point of view, many of us believe that the words …
“Ask for help, and early and often… Don’t do this in isolation. College wasn’t meant to be alone.” — Michelle Obama
For many, Italian is an essential college course.
You might need to learn Italian for the credits or to …
Martin Scorsese once said: “If your mother cooks Italian food, why should you go to a restaurant?”
But not everyone has an Italian mother—so not every table is laden with delicious, home-cooked Italian food.
And while cooking can, of …
“Anche in paradiso non è bello essere soli.” (“Even in paradise it’s not good to be alone.”)
This quaint proverb is actually the Italian view on love. And to most Italians—and certainly many visitors—Italy is a paradise on earth.…
Let’s face it: We live in expensive times.
Just grabbing a morning cup of coffee on the way to work can set you back.
And there’s a reason so many of us brown bag our lunch a few days a …
“You can’t take a crash course in serenity.” — Shirley Maclaine
It seems unlikely that anyone would easily crash into a zen-like state.
But you can certainly crash into Italian!
And that little fact—that it’s possible to speed-learn Italian—is …
Hey there. Come here often?
We hope you like cheese, because this post is the cheesiest thing you’ll read today.
Nope, this isn’t an article about Italian food vocabulary.
In this post, we’re learning all about Italian pick up …
“I was reading the dictionary. I thought it was a poem about everything.” — Steven Wright
The dictionary covers every word in a language. Every topic. And almost nothing’s off limits, is it?
So basically Steven Wright is correct: The …
“One day you’ll wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things that you have always dreamed. Do them now.” — Paulo Coelho
There’s nothing wrong with dreaming. We all do it. It’s even beneficial for …
When I think of finding Italian language lessons on the cheap, the Italian phrase “avere le braccine corte” (“to have short arms”) comes to mind immediately.
And when I hear it in my head, it’s spoken with a robust Italian …
As the song says: “Set fire to the Italian learning!”
What? That’s not how it goes?
Well, it’s time for a remix, because your Kindle is about to ignite your Italian skills.
Think the Amazon Kindle is just …
The Italian have a saying:
Far d’una mosca un elefante. (To make an elephant out of a fly.)
This proverb refers to our tendency to make a huge deal out of a minor issue.
It pretty much sums up how …
“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Inigo from “The Princess Bride” sure knows how to make a memorable introduction.
It has everything: It’s short, to the point and wonderfully polite.
While you shouldn’t …
As the old proverb goes,“Pigliar due piccioni con una fava.” (“Get two birds with one stone”).
We’re not hunting birds here, only Italian fluency.
Luckily, the saying still applies to Italian. What it really means is that you’re…
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” — Nelson Mandela
Can you reach someone’s heart with your Italian?…
Need to learn Italian fast? Like, yesterday?
If that’s the case, you definitely need an intensive Italian course. As in, super intensive.
It’ll send your language skills zooming from 0-60 in a matter of seconds—like a sleek, super-savvy Italian-made …
No one studies the Italian language to be mediocre at it.
None of us have ever embarked on a language-learning journey by saying, “I want to be so-so in Italian. You know, just okay at it.”
We all want to …
“Che fai tu, luna, in ciel, dimmi, che fai?” (“What are you doing, moon, in the sky, tell me, what are you doing?”) — Giacomo Leopardi
The great Italian philosopher and poet Leopardi had deep thoughts when he gazed at …
“Dall’ascolto arriva la saggezza. Dal parlare il pentimento.” (“Wisdom comes from listening. From speaking, repentance.”)
The first part of this old Italian proverb hits the nail on the head: Listening and learning go hand in hand.
The second half, about …
Ricorda perché hai iniziato a studiare l’italiano. (Remember why you started to study Italian.)
There are so many wonderful reasons to study Italian.
Travel? Assolutamente! (Absolutely!)
Personal growth? Certamente! (Certainly!)
Love? Un movtivo perfetto! (A perfect reason!)…
We live in a highly mobile society.
We’re always on the go and super busy—we certainly don’t let any grass grow beneath our feet, do we?
This applies to our language-learning methods, too.
We bring our …
Italian is funny.
I’m not joking.
Sure, it’s a wildly romantic language of love but Italian doesn’t stop at romance.
It heads straight to funny. Do not pass go, do not collect duecento euro (two hundred euros)—just go right on …
Imagine explaining to a foreigner why Americans say “like.”
Seems easy until you try it.
To “be like” means to be similar to something, while “to like” means to enjoy something. But, like, how do you explain why we say …
Anyone can master the basics.
But becoming an advanced Italian speaker? That’s a bit more challenging.
When you’re at an advanced stage in your language learning, you’re so close to fluency you can almost touch it!
It’s like being in …
Italians are masters of non-verbal communication: they say more with the body than with the mouth.
For evidence of this, just watch Luca Vullo’s 2017 documentary “La voce del corpo” (“The Voice of the Body”), an award-winning look …
Buona notte e sogni d’oro! (Good night and golden dreams!)
Those words can be heard all across Italy when nighttime comes around and sleepy little ones are tucked into bed, when lovers part with un bacio (a kiss), when …
If learning Italian required moving to Sicily, we’d all be on that beautiful island.
Not that we’d mind! But some of us have jobs and families that we simply can’t get up and leave.
In fact, you might not …
Chi male comincia, peggio finisce. (A bad beginning makes a bad ending.)
As this Italian proverb indicates, beginnings—like greetings—are very important.
Properly greeting someone might even be considered a fine art.
For instance, when you …
What do Niccolò Ammaniti, Viola di Grado and Dante have in common?
Of course: They’re all Italian writers!
No matter what clickbait articles online say, the art of writing is certainly not dying.
But you might not consider yourself …
“Si canta sempre di cuore—quando si è pieno d’amore.” (One sings from the heart when one is full of love.)
This is especially true for Italians, who speak “the language of love” in one of the most romantic …
“Conosco i miei polli.” (“I know my chickens.”)
This fun Italian saying has nothing to do with chickens. Or turkeys. No fowl at all, actually.
What the often-spoken adage means is: “I know what I’m talking about.”
Knowing a subject—like …
We all do it.
“Nice weather we’re having, isn’t it?”
Yep, I’m talking about small talk.
The fluff of conversations.
Topics—usually sports, food or the weather—that we can discuss with anyone, including random strangers.
They’re safe topics no matter where …
“I love places that have an incredible history. I love the Italian way of life. I love the food. I love the people. I love the attitudes of Italians.” — Elton John
It’s no shock that Elton John—and so many …
Learning Italian is easier than ever in rete (online).
In fact, you can now become fluent in Italian without even stepping foot in Italy.
While I strongly recommend a visit to reinforce your skills and reward yourself for a …
Yes, it’s possible to make a morning commute through Iowa sound like a drive to work in Florence.
Just swap out your silly American radio station for an equally ridiculous Italian drive-time radio podcast.
You can easily make learning …
