See the noun used below:

See the noun used below:

I took most of June and July off to finalize the proofs of my forthcoming book on economic sanctions! I thought it would make a great word of the day (il dorso).

This expression made the rounds in the Italian media on June 19th, which you may have seen following the G7 meeting.

Note that this expression has an indirect construction, as you can see in the example below:

See the word used below:

This noun is another compound noun that combines the verb ficcare (to stick, to thrust) and il naso (nose).

Note that the masculine and feminine forms are the same!

See the noun used below:

This noun is a compound of the verb guastare, which means to break or to ruin, and the noun festa, which means party.

See the noun used below:

a

You might see this noun in the expression fare la figura del pollo, which means to look like an idiot or a fool.

Other words in the chicken family:

• la gallina hen

• il gallo rooster

• il pulcino baby chicken

• il pollastro young chicken

• il pollaio chicken coop

To call someone a lumaca is to indicate that they are slow or lazy!

See the expression used below:

There are other ways to say snail in Italian, like the word la chiocciola, which usually refers to a snail that has the tell-tale spiral shell or the Italian word for the at sign (@).

Watch the stress - it’s on the first ‘a’, not the ‘i'!

See the noun used below:

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!