8 strategies to build up Italian vocabulary fast and well
As an instructor in the field of languages, I have often noticed that many learners of Italian, as a foreign language, struggle to make the most out of their vocabulary lists or flashcards. Nevertheless , a strategic Italian vocabulary learning habit is the key to a powerful and long-lasting impact on your Italian language journey. […]
24 francesismi di uso quotidiano nell’italiano
Sarà che gli italiani sono un po’ esterofili ma non si può negare che la lingua italiana sia costellata da parole, locuzioni e frasi provenienti da altre lingue, soprattutto dall’inglese, dal francese e dal latino. La così ricca cultura francese ha rivestito senz’altro un ruolo importante nello sviluppo di tutta la cultura europea negli ultimi secoli. […]
8 great Italian YouTubers to improve your listening skills
Videos can be some of the best resources for learning Italian: you hear how the words are spoken, helping you to improve your pronunciation and your listening skills. Of course, it is not when you are listening to something in the background while doing your cleanings on Saturday morning that you will magically memorize new […]
How to compliment someone in Italian
If you want to compliment someone on their achievements, you can say: (Che) Bravo! Good job!Bravissimo! Excellent job! If you want to compliment somebody in the specific circumstances of a wedding or graduation or a promotion at work, you can easily say: Congratulazioni! Congratulations!Complimenti! Congratulations! and you could add depending on the context: Congratulazioni te lo […]
Fermare and smettere: what’s the difference?
Misusing or swapping the verbs fermare and smettere is one of the most frequent errors students of Italian as a second language do and I understand why. The confusion is drove by the fact that both verbs, in English, have only one translation: stopping. Instead, Italians have two different verbs to indicate the action of stopping. One verb is […]
How to use correctly the adverbs già and ancora?
Let’s start from già, which has two different meanings. GIÀ= ALREADY The most common use of già is when is used with the sense of already. In the vast majority of times, già comes together with a passato prossimo, just like in English and is always placed between the auxiliary verb and the past participle Hai già fatto […]