Let’s Talk About…  Enjoying the Beach in Italy Whether your Italian vacation takes you to a stunning seaside resort or simply one of the many public beaches along the crystal clear Mediterranean sea, knowing Italian beach etiquette and some basic Italian phrases will allow for a day of relaxation and fun.  The  more Italian you know, the easier it will be to enjoy “la dolce vita” this summer! Which Italian region has the Best Beaches in Italy? A quick search of the approximately 7,600 miles of coastline along the Italian peninsula and its islands yields at least one beach …

The Modal Verb Phrase “Supposed to” Meaning and Uses In last January’s blog, we discussed how to use dovere to express the meaning behind the English modal verb “should” in Italian.  The focus of this blog will be the English modal verb phrase “supposed to,” which conveys a similar meaning to “should,” but has different overtones and is used in a slightly different way. In Italian, the verb dovere,  with its official translation of “must/to have to” will be recruited to express the meanings of “duty” and “obligation” that come into play with “supposed to.”  Of course, dovere will be conjugated …

“Che ore sono?” in Italian To ask about and tell the time in Italian, we will need to know several expressions and, of course, how to count in Italian.  Since there are 60 minutes in an hour, it will be important to know how to count to 60 in Italian!  A simple online search should provide this basic information. The question, “What time is it?” has both singular and plural forms in Italian: “Che ora è?” or “Che ore sono?”  which, literally mean, “What hour is (it)?”  and  “What hours are (they)?” To an English speaker, this may be a …

The Italian Verb Avere The Italian verb avere means to have, and, of course, is an essential Italian verb to know. Avere serves an important function alone and also as an “assistant,” or auxiliary verb, for  compound verbs. (A compound verb is created from two or more verbs.) In our last blog, we focused on the present tense of avere and gave the full present tense conjugation, noting that all forms are irregular except for the voi form. The present tense conjugation is listed again below.  The irregular forms are brown and the regular voi form is green.  The accented syllables …

The Italian Verb Avere The Italian verb avere means to have and, given this definition, is an essential Italian verb to know. Avere serves an important function alone and also as an “assistant,” or auxiliary verb, for compound verbs (created from two or more verbs). For now, we will focus on the present tense of avere. “I have, you have, he/she has,” will be used often when conversing in Italian, and all present tense forms of this verb should be memorized and readily available for use. Avere is an irregular verb in all present tense conjugations, except for the voi form; …

There are many ways to say, “I love you” in Italian, and there are special Italian phrases for friends, family members, and one’s true love. These important phrases were discussed  in our blog from  2020, Italian Phrases for Dating, a section of which is reprinted below. The most important ways to say, “I love you” in Italian: “Ti voglio bene” is an old Italian expression that is still in use today for both platonic and romantic love. The meaning of this phrase is not easily translated into English, but it is used often in Italy to express one’s feeling of …

The Modal Verb “Should” Meaning and Uses Three important modal verbs in English are “should,” “could” and “would.” In general, modal verbs, also called “helping verbs,” convey information about the verb that follows.  The focus in this blog will be the English modal verb “should,” although the general rules for all English modal verbs are the same. Let’s first answer some general questions about modal verbs, and in particular how the modal verb “should” is used in English, before comparing “should” to its Italian counterpart. Why is “should” considered a modal verb? The English verb “should” is a modal verb …

A Short History of the Nativity Scene Il Presepio / Il Presepe   Each Italian town has its own traditions that make Christmas special. The nativity scene, called “il presepio” or “il presepe” is one such tradition. There is a long history of symbolism behind the setting and characters of “il presepe.”  Since 1223, when Saint Francis of Assisi placed a manger filled with straw next to an ox and mule in a cave in the Italian town of Greccio, the nativity scene has become an integral part of the  Christmas celebration throughout Italy. This first nativity scene was created …

The Italian verb  entrare  is often used to describe physically entering a place and can be translated as “to enter,” “to go in” or “to come in.” In fact, the Italian and English verbs entrare and enter are cognates; both verbs share a common origin in the Latin language. Also, along with carrying the same primary definition,  entrare and enter have a similar sound when pronounced in each language, and are used in a similar way. Besides the basic meaning of “to enter a place,” entrare  and enter are also the verbs used to give direction to performers. For instance, the …

Getting  Upset in Italian —  Turbato and Sconvolto Many scenarios, either real or imagined, can prompt a feeling of concern. In short, in life there are many reasons for us to get upset, and we often try to get advice or find solace by speaking with another. In Italian, there are many ways to convey the emotions we feel when we get worried and upset. Therefore, we must learn to think in Italian if we are to communicate our emotions in Italian! In our last blog in this series about how to express emotions in Italian, “Talking About Emotions,” we discussed how an …