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I switched from learning Spanish on Duolingo to learning Italian for a year for a trip to Italy which was cancelled. Now I have just finished learning the Italian from the Duolingo course and I have gone back to Spanish.
This time I am more methodical. A few days ago I wanted to say goodnight to my husband in Italian and could not rmember the Italian for good night. He was astonished and said, "After a year of Italian, you still can't say good night!"
I wrote down the Italian for good night on a piece of paper and put it by his bed on the bedside talbe (which Americans call a night stand). I wrote it again for myself, to go on my bedside table.
When I switched to Spanish, I wrote the Italian for good night, and good morning.
Italian - English
ciao - hello/goodbye
buon giorno - good morning (literally good day)
buona notte - good night
Spanish - English
hola (silent h) - hello/goodbye
buenas noches - good night
buenos dias - good day/morning
I think of Spain, Espana, with the letter s. Add s for plurals, like Los Angeles, the city, which means the angels.
Dia is day and dias is days. Day has the letter A second in Spanish.
Now, as soon as I think of good night or good morning in English, either the Italian or Spanish for good night or good day will pop into my head. How do I remember the difference is spelling of the word good for night and day, and which is Spanish and which is Italian.
I thought I'd check out the Portugese. Very close to Spanish. In spelling and pronounciation.
Handy in both Europe, in Portugal, and in South America in Brazil
Portuguese - English
olá - hello
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wikitravel phrasebook Italian
wikitravel phrasebook Spanish
wikitravel phrasebook Portuguese
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