by DHales | May 18, 2018 | Books, Education, Italy, Language, Sayings and expressions, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Che? Che Cosa? What? In any language “what” makes the world go round. We always want to know “what’s that?” (che cosa è quello?), “what’s happening?” (che succede?), “what for?” (per che cosa?) and “what’s the matter?” (che cosa c’è?). In Italian the pronoun che or...
by DHales | May 14, 2018 | Books, Education, Italy, Language, Sayings and expressions, Web/Tech, Weblogs
a in, to, at In my days as a freelance writer, I once explained to a curious friend that I was paid—sometimes quite generously—by the word. “Even for ‘a’?” she asked incredulously. My editors may not have gotten their money’s worth for an English “a.” An Italian “a”...
by DHales | Nov 15, 2013 | Education, Italy, Language, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Intercalari Casual words and phrases inserted into sentences “Your Italian is good” (“E buono, il tuo italiano”), a Roman friend once told me, “but it doesn’t sound Italian” (“ma non suona italiano”). I now know why: a lack of “intercalari.” I may have...
by DHales | Mar 23, 2009 | Food and Drink, Italy, Language, Sayings and expressions, Social behavior, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
il tetto, i tettiroof, roofs “We’ve rented a wonderful apartment,” I gushed at dinner at Camponeschi, our favorite restaurant in Rome, “with a great view of the roofs of Rome.” The Italians at the next table giggled. The young...
