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Archive for the 'Italian Words' Category

A Comprehensive Guide to Italian Prepositions

Italian prepositions are like almost everything else in the Italian language: hard to understand at the beginning, but poetic and lovely to the ear. Well, with this comprehensive guide to prepositions in Italian by ItalianPod101, you’ll learn Italian prepositions in the blink of an eye. We’ll cover the basics of Italian prepositions and when to use them, using charts and examples so that understanding Italian prepositions has never been clearer. It’s Italian prepositions made easy! Table of Contents What is a Preposition? How to Use Italian Prepositions Main Italian Prepositions Main Prepositions + Article Learn Italian with Ease at ItalianPod101 1. What is a Preposition? But first, we must start with the basics: the... Show more

Life Event Messages: Happy Birthday in Italian & More

Being part of your family’s, friends’, and colleagues’ life events is important in having a loving and caring relationship with them. That’s why we at ItalianPod101 have listed the most important messages for life events in Italy: In this article, you’ll learn how to say Happy Birthday in Italian, Italian Christmas greetings, messages you can use in case of funerals or marriages, and much more. With our guide to life event messages in Italian culture, you’ll always know what to say. Table of Contents The Best Messages for Life Events in Italy Speak and Behave Like a Real Italian with ItalianPod101 1. The Best Messages for Life Events in Italy 1- How Do You Say Happy Birthday in Italian? Birthdays are very important for... Show more

Talking About Italian Weather: Rome, Italy & More

Bella giornata, vero? (Nice day, isn't it?) How many times have you heard somebody start a conversation this way? Talking about the weather is, in every language, the typical topic that friends, acquaintances, and even perfect strangers often choose as a conversation starter. In Italian, it’s no different. Talking about the weather is the perfect way per rompere il ghiaccio (to break the ice). This is why it’s so important to have all the vocabulary tools for talking about the weather (in Rome, Italy, or elsewhere). In this article, you’ll learn practical Italian weather vocabulary, how to describe weather in Italian, the various weather conditions in Italian provinces, and how to talk about weather in Itallian like a native! Let’s get... Show more

Domenica delle Palme: Celebrating Palm Sunday in Italy

Palm Sunday in Italy is a major occasion around the country, with many unique religious celebrations. In this article, you’ll learn the basics about Palm Sunday, Italian traditions for this holiday, and some relevant Italian vocabulary. Let’s get started! 1. What is Palm Sunday? On Palm Sunday, Italian Christians celebrate Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem as described in the Bible. According to the Bible, he entered riding a donkey and people from the city welcomed him by throwing down palm branches in his path. This took place exactly one week before his Resurrection from the dead, which is celebrated as Easter one week after Palm Sunday. In Italy, Palm Sunday is also largely associated with plants, particularly the palm... Show more

Italian Adjectives List: The Top 100 Adjectives

Adjectives, in any language, are what we use to better describe what we’re talking about. They give color and meaning to our words. So, learning the top 100 Italian adjectives right away will help you quickly improve your conversation skills. If you check an Italian grammar book or website, you’ll find out that there are many types of them: Demonstratives: questo; quello — "this; that" Qualificatives: bello; brutto — "nice; ugly" Possessives: mio; tuo — "my; your" And there are many others! Try and memorize a big list of Italian adjectives and their opposites. Let's have fun with easy grammar lessons and exercises on how to use Italian adjectives with ItalianPod101.com. Andiamo! (Let’s go!) Table of Contents Italian... Show more

Celebrating International Women’s Day in Italy

Giornata Internazionale della Donna, or International Women’s Day in Italy, is a major holiday celebrated throughout the country. In this article, you’ll learn how Italians honor the women in their lives and about the most common traditions for Women’s Day. Let’s get started. 1. What is International Women’s Day? In Italy, International Women’s Day may not be a public holiday, but that doesn’t keep people from finding ways to honor the women in their lives. Essentially, International Women’s Day is a reminder of the "discrimination" (discriminazione) and "violence" (violenza) women have faced in the past, and a day to celebrate the higher social position women have today. This festival was first celebrated in 1909 in the... Show more

The Best Shows & Italian Movies on Netflix to Learn Italian

Maybe you don’t know, but Netflix can be very effective for things other than binge-watching your favorite TV series until late at night or entertaining your kids on a rainy Sunday. You can learn new things with its hundreds of documentaries, discover the history of cinema thanks to the many great old movies in its catalogue, or even improve your Italian language skills. You heard us right: Learn Italian with Netflix! And as always, we at ItalianPod101 have got your back! Check out our guide to the best Italian movies on Netflix and Netflix Italian series, and discover how, while you learn Italian, Netflix can be right there to help! Table of Contents Italy and Netflix: A Love Story Why Watching Italian Movies on Netflix Will... Show more

Most Important Coordinating Conjunctions in Italian and More

Without conjunctions, we would be talking like robots, putting together a sequence of detached sentences. You might not realize this, but conjunctions are a very important part of our language. They have the important job of coordinating and linking phrases. So, let’s discover and practice the most commonly used conjunctions in Italian (including coordinating conjunctions in Italian), because these little bricks in your sentences will help you connect your Italian phrases and make your Italian conversation flow. And this is exactly what you’ll need to speak Italian like a pro! (See how I used conjunctions to link the last three sentences?) :) As you can see, even the most simple Italian conjunctions can make a huge difference. But... Show more

Everything You Should Know about Italian Customs and Etiquette

Every culture in the world have their own customs and etiquette regarding the most important aspects of social life: from dining to celebrations, from greetings to traveling, and so on. For someone coming from a different culture, they can be hard to understand and adopt, but they’re indeed an important element in communicating with the local population and learning their culture. In order to help you with this, ItalianPod101 has written a guide to the Italian customs and etiquette. With our Italian etiquette tips under your belt, you have no reason to be nervous when an Italian friend invites you to dinner or when you’re going to travel to Italy for business reasons. Everyone will remember you as the educated, nice foreigner who... Show more

Epifania: The Feast of the Epiphany in Italy

Italians celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany each year to celebrate the Magi’s visitation to Baby Jesus. However, the celebrations of Epiphany in Italy may surprise you—did you know that Epiphany isn’t what most Italians call this holiday? In this article, you’ll learn about the origins of the Epiphany holiday and how the Italians observe it. At ItalianPod101.com, it’s our goal to ensure that every aspect of your language-learning journey is both fun and informative—starting with this article! Ready? Let’s dive in. 1. What is Epiphany in Italy? Epiphany, like Christmas, is a Christian religious festival. It celebrates the visit made by the Magi—the three great kings of the East—to Christ twelve days after his birth.... Show more