Language Tips

Words by Pat EggletonMost people you need to speak to for tourist purposes in Italy will happily speak English to you and this often goes for business too. But…

Actually – in fact – in reality. Attualmente does not mean “actually”. It means “currently”. If you want to say “actually”, you say in realtà. Infatti…

Words by Pat EggletonWhat do you say when someone says, “Salutami tua moglie” [“Say hello to your wife for me”] or “Un abbraccio a tutti” [“A hug to everyone…

Many English speakers become confused when they need to say “I like” in Italian but it’s really quite simple. What you are saying is “Something is pleasing to…

Sometimes English speakers become completely confused because word order in Italian is more flexible than in English. In Italian it is possible to say both…

Words by Pat EggletonThe double consonant in Italian is important and you will always hear it clearly pronounced. The best way for a foreigner to deal with it…

//--> //--> //--> We’re going back to grammar this week because it’s time to learn how to say “to the” and “at the”. Some people find prepositions very…

Words by Pat EggletonWe use “scusi” to draw attention, for example if we want to stop someone to ask the way:Scusi, signore /signora, dov’è il municipio, per…

Words by Pat Eggleton The titles signora and signorina do not, like Miss and Mrs in English, always denote marital status. Signorina is used to address a…

We all enjoy the Italian sunshine but sometimes we stay out in it too long, especially if we come from countries where we don’t get much sun! Those pesky…