See the adverb used below:

In Italian, meals or food described as dietetico tend to have fewer calories (less sugar, less fat, etc.).

See the adjective used below:

Or this example:

This is an example of a pronominal verb, which requires the use of the pronoun la and is similar to verb expressions like piantarla or smetterla.

See the expression used below:

Vocabulary Builder

There are lots of these kinds of pronominal expressions in Italian! Here’s a short list of some common ones worth learning and incorporating into your Italian:

• cavarsela to get by (in the sense of to manage)
  
  All’esame se l’è cavata bene.
  He/she did well enough on the exam.
  

• farcela to manage, to succeed, to do
  
  Non ce la faccio più!
  I can’t do it anymore!
  

• vedersela to deal with, to face something
  
  Te la vedrai con me!
  You’ll have to deal with me!

See the adjective used below:

a

See the example used below:

Quando Annamaria ha provato ad accarezzare il gatto di sua nonna, il gatto ha soffiato e si è nascosto sotto il divano.

When Annamaria tried to pet his grandmother’s cat, the cat hissed and hid under the sofa.

See the noun expression used below:

Quando Marianne ha lasciato Marco, lui è diventato inconsolabile e ha cominciato a spendere un sacco di soldi. Ogni giorno pubblicava qualcosa di nuovo sui social: una macchina nuova, due orologi alla moda, vestiti costosissimi, persino una valigia firmata. Tutto per un soggiorno di tre giorni a New York! Insomma, Marco ha fatto spese pazze.

When Marianne left Marco, he became inconsolable and started spending a ton of money. Every day he was posting something new on social media: a new car, two fashionable watches, very expensive clothes, and even a designer suitcase. All for a three-day trip to New York City! Basically, Marco was spending like crazy.

Today’s Parola del giorno is the verb vaneggiare, which can mean to be delirious, to say absurd things, or to rave.

The verb can be used literally, as if someone has a medical condition, but it can also be used figuratively when a person is not making any sense or saying silly or absurd things.

Here’s an example:

Nota grammaticale:

• Languages are treated as masculine nouns in Italian and are never capitalized.

• The definite article is typically used with languages but is optional with the verbs parlare, insegnare, and studiare.

• The definite article is frequently omitted with some expressions, like with the preposition in:

  • in cinese: Luca mi ha scritto in cinese. Luca wrote me in Chinese.

  • in italiano: Luca mi ha scritto in italiano. Luca wrote me in Italian.

  • in tedesco: Luca mi ha scritto in tedesco. Luca wrote me in German.

Today’s Parola del giorno is the noun il pitone, which means python.

You can see the noun used below:

Other useful vocabulary:

• birmano: burmese

• il filo elettrico: power chord

• il comando: control box (of the electric blanket)

• i comandi: controls (or control boxes)

• la coperta: blanket

• la coperta elettrica: electric blanket

• la coperta elettrica matrimoniale: queen-sized electric blanket

Riuscire a + infinito means can or be able to in the sense of to manage. Some grammar texts often describe riuscire as being used when the ability to do/not do something is dependent upon ourselves or some physical limitation. In other words, whether we can or cannot do something is due to some factor or condition of ourselves (not on some outside force/factor):

Non riesco a uscire stasera; ho la febbre.

I can’t go out tonight; I have a fever.

Marta non riesce a giocare a tennis; si è rotta il braccio.

Marta can’t play tennis; she broke her arm.

In the example above, you are unable to do some task because of your own limitations due to being unwell. These expressions do not always have to be in the negative either:

Finalmente riesco a festeggiare; non sono più ammalato dopo tre settimane di Covid-19.

I can finally celebrate; I’m not sick anymore after three weeks of Covid-19.

In the example above, I can now do some task because I am no longer inhibited by my own limitations due to being ill.

We also use riuscire a + infinito when we can’t manage to do something, for example:

La porta è bloccata; non riesco a aprirla.3 Chiedi a Marco, è più forte!

The door is stuck; I can’t open it. Ask Marco, he’s stronger!

In this example, the use of riuscire a + infinito signals that the door won’t open because of my own physical limitations (I’m not strong enough).

Potere + infinito means can or to be able to in the sense of having the ability, freedom, opportunity, or capacity to do something. Some grammar texts describe the use of potere as when we rely upon some outside factor in allowing something to get done or not done.

Non posso uscire stasera; mia madre ha detto di no.

I can’t go out tonight; my mom said no.

In this example, my inability to go out has nothing to do with some aspect of myself that inhibits the activity; it is because my mother has forbad it. But what if my mom had a change of heart?

Sentite, ragazzi, posso accompagnarvi ora! Mia madre ha cambiato idea quando ho promesso di aiutarla domani.

Listen, guys, I can go with you now! My mom changed her mind when I promised to help her tomorrow.

And another example:

Non possiamo più seguire l’attualità online; Giovanni ha fatto scadere il nostro abbonamento.

We can’t follow current events online anymore; Giovanni let our subscription lapse.

In this example, our subscription lapsed because Giovanni forget to renew it, which is preventing us from reading the current events in the newspaper or online news site you frequent.

You can also express can with the verb sapere4 + infinito, which translates as to know how to do something or can:

Quei turisti sono persi e hanno bisogni di indicazioni. Credo che siano italiani!

Those tourists are lost, and they need directions. I believe they’re Italian!

Purtroppo non so parlare italiano.

Unfortunately, I can’t speak Italian.

Here’s the noun used below:

Where does the noun il solleone come from? It has an interesting etymology formed from the compound of the noun il sole and Leone, the zodiac sign (Leo) of the hottest period of the summer when the sun is in that sign.

Today’s Parola del giorno - the last for 2025 - is the expression voltare pagina, which means to turn the page.

It can be used literally (like turning the page of a book) or figuratively.

See the expression used below:

Dopo un anno difficile per Pietro, segnato dal divorzio, dal licenziamento e dallo sfratto, ha finalmente conosciuto una nuova ragazza, ha trovato un nuovo lavoro e ha comprato casa. Ha proprio voltato pagina!

After a difficult year for Pietro, marked by divorce, job loss, and eviction, he finally met a new woman, found a new job, and bought a house. He really turned the page!

Today’s Parola del giorno is the verb sgattaiolare, which means to sneak.

Sgattaiolare requires essere in compound tenses.

You can use it with via to make to sneak away or with the preposition in when referring to the room of a house:

sgattaiolare via to sneak away

sgattaiolare in to sneak into (a room)

See the verb used below:

Oggi ho ricevuto i voti del semestre e sono terribili. Quando ho sentito entrare mia madre, sono sgattaiolato via in fretta. Mi ucciderà quando vedrà che sono stato bocciato agli esami.

Today I got my semester grades, and they are terrible. When I heard my mom enter, I snuck away hurriedly. She will kill me when she sees that I failed my exams.

Today’s Parola del giorno is the Italian noun il presèpe, which means Nativity scene.

You can also use the noun il presèpio, as well.

When a family fa il presepe, it is a sign that the holidays are near!

See the expression used below:

Ogni dicembre mia nonna fa il presepe in casa, e con tutte le figurine per noi inizia la festa di Natale

Every December my grandmother sets up the Nativity scene a home, and for us with all the figurines begins the Christmas holiday.

Today’s Parola del giorno is the verb tergiversare, which means to pussyfoot around or to prevaricate. You would use this verb to describe an action where someone is deliberately avoiding a question or truth about something.

See the verb used below:

Quando la cameriera è ritornata al nostro tavolo per la terza volta, Marco continuava a tergiversare, non riusciva ancora a scegliere un primo piatto per la cena.

When the waitress came back to our table for the third time, Marco continued to hem and haw, still unable to select a dish for dinner.

This noun has been in the news lately given a recent spate of gun and gang violence in Palermo.

See the noun used below:

Negli ultimi giorni a Palermo si sono svolte diverse fiaccolate per le vie del centro per protestare contro la violenza in una zona popolare della città.

In recent days, several torchlight processions have taken place through the streets of downtown Palermo to protest against violence in a working-class neighborhood of the city.

As the flu seasons gets underway, this is a verb that you will likely hear frequently!

See the verb used below:

Mi sto rimettendo dalla polmonite dopo aver trascorso un paio di giorni in ospedale. Sono felice di essere tornato a casa, dove finalmente posso riposarmi e guarire.

I am recovering from pneumonia after having spent a couple of days in the hospital. I am happy to be home where I can finally rest and heal.

Here are some additional words and expressions related to various illnesses and symptoms common in the colder months:

• la polmonite pneumonia

• l’influenza flu

• il raffredore common cold

• il Covid 19 Covid-19

• il virus respiratorio sinciziale (VRS) RSV

• l’allergia allergy

• la bronchite bronchitis

• la febbre fever

• il mal di gola sore throat

• la tosse cough

• il mal di testa headache

See the adverb used below:

Ti avevo detto di non entrare in quella stanza e di non toccare le mie cose ma tu arbitrariamente lo hai fatto

I told you not to go in that room and not to touch my things, but you arbitrarily did it.

See the noun used below:

A ottobre si raccolgono le zucche per fare la zuppa di zucca — un piatto autunnale molto amato!

In October people collect pumpkins to make pumpkin soup, a most-loved Fall dish!

La zucca can also be used to mean head and features in a number of expressions. One of my favorite is non avere proprio niente in zucca, which means to be dead from the neck up.

See the word used below:

Da me la cucina e il salotto sono di sotto mentre le stanze da letto e il bagno sono di sopra.

At my house the kitchen and living room are downstairs while the bedrooms and bathroom are upstairs.

Today’s Parola del giorno is the noun la gattara (or il gattaro), which means cat lady. It refers to a person who surrounds themselves with cats! It can also apply to men, as well.

See the word used below:

Mia madre si lamenta sempre quando andiamo da zia Maria, perché è allergica ai gatti — e zia Maria, secondo l’altra mia zia, è proprio la gattara classica!

My mom always complains when we go to Aunt Maria’s house, because she is allergic to cats — and Aunt Maria, according to my other aunt, is quite the typical cat lady.