I am starting to learn Italian. I learned Latin at school. I like Italian restaurants. I buy Italian food. I have had holidays in Italy. I love opera. I know some words from music. A few popular songs. I wondered how many words I already know. How many do you know? Make a list now - look away for a moment, just count on your fingers, five maybe?
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I'm sure we share some of the same ones.
Latin
amo, amas, amat (I love, you love, he/she/it loves
1 Italian words in songs - Amore - oh, oh, oh, oh love/to love
Italian Food words:
1 spaghetti
2 canneloni
3 bolognese - from the city of Bologna
4 Milanese - from Milan
Songs and Films
5 ciaou - goodbye
6 bambino - baby/child - from the song Ciaou, ciaou, bambino - Italian or Spanish - near enough for comprehension
7 mama mia - song/musical mama is mother
8 mia is my
9 la dolce vita - name of film and a restaurant in London la is the
10 dolce is sweet
11 vita is life (as in vitality)
Music
12 piano - soft
13 forte - strong, loud
14 virtuoso - expert,
15 diva
16 maestro - master
Drink and Food
17 Caffe - coffee (bar)
18 Italiano - Italian
19 espresso - small black coffee made with an espresso machine forcing steam at high pressure to make a strong coffee, hence the noise from most machines and, seemingly incongruously, the higher price for the smaller coffee
20 con panne - with cream, con is with, panne is cream
Ciaou - I'm off to a Caffe for an espresso - con panne!
When the waiter gives it to you, remember to say thank you, graze, (z-ts sound, ending with e pronounced ay) to which the waiter replies, prego (translation not at all/ you're welcome).
PS For a moment I wondered whether I had remembered the Spanish. But the Spanish is por favor, muchas gracias - many thanks, de nada - it's literally of ie for - nothing.
Saving this, then checking - maybe you'd like to do the same - with Google translate.
Learning Italian Tips
1 Make your own vocabulary notebook (use an inexpensive address book which has alphabetical tabs - see previous post on DIY diaries)
2 Ask an Italian restaurant for a takeaway menu; copy words with translations
3 Add google translate to your favourites bar or an icon for a translation service
More tips in next post.
Angela Lansbury BA Hons author, travel writer and photographer, speaker.
Semi-retired from teaching English language and literature O level, A level, English as a second/foreign language and foreign languages.
..
..
..
..
..
I'm sure we share some of the same ones.
Latin
amo, amas, amat (I love, you love, he/she/it loves
1 Italian words in songs - Amore - oh, oh, oh, oh love/to love
Italian Food words:
1 spaghetti
2 canneloni
3 bolognese - from the city of Bologna
4 Milanese - from Milan
Songs and Films
5 ciaou - goodbye
6 bambino - baby/child - from the song Ciaou, ciaou, bambino - Italian or Spanish - near enough for comprehension
7 mama mia - song/musical mama is mother
8 mia is my
9 la dolce vita - name of film and a restaurant in London la is the
10 dolce is sweet
11 vita is life (as in vitality)
Music
12 piano - soft
13 forte - strong, loud
14 virtuoso - expert,
15 diva
16 maestro - master
Drink and Food
17 Caffe - coffee (bar)
18 Italiano - Italian
19 espresso - small black coffee made with an espresso machine forcing steam at high pressure to make a strong coffee, hence the noise from most machines and, seemingly incongruously, the higher price for the smaller coffee
20 con panne - with cream, con is with, panne is cream
Ciaou - I'm off to a Caffe for an espresso - con panne!
When the waiter gives it to you, remember to say thank you, graze, (z-ts sound, ending with e pronounced ay) to which the waiter replies, prego (translation not at all/ you're welcome).
PS For a moment I wondered whether I had remembered the Spanish. But the Spanish is por favor, muchas gracias - many thanks, de nada - it's literally of ie for - nothing.
Saving this, then checking - maybe you'd like to do the same - with Google translate.
Learning Italian Tips
1 Make your own vocabulary notebook (use an inexpensive address book which has alphabetical tabs - see previous post on DIY diaries)
2 Ask an Italian restaurant for a takeaway menu; copy words with translations
3 Add google translate to your favourites bar or an icon for a translation service
More tips in next post.
Angela Lansbury BA Hons author, travel writer and photographer, speaker.
Semi-retired from teaching English language and literature O level, A level, English as a second/foreign language and foreign languages.
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