Becoming Italian Word by Word

Traveling in the Italian Language: Greetings

I Saluti

Greetings

The first word I saw on arriving in Rome was “Benvenuti!” (Welcome!). Everywhere I went, I heard Italians calling out saluti (greetings)—if not in person, then via their telefonini (cell phones). Friends and acquaintances salute each other with the most familiar of Italian words: ciao, which does double duty as “hi” and “bye.”

I learned its history years ago on my first trip to Venice . A waiter at the caffè where I came every day to sip espresso and watch the pigeons swoop across the Piazza di San Marco joked that my “ciao” sounded too Tuscan. Coaching me in the Venetian pronunciation, he explained that the word itself was a local invention.

In the glittering heyday of the city natives proudly refer to as La Serenissima, correspondents signed letters, “Il Suo schiavo” (your slave). Meeting on the street, acquaintances would bow and repeat the same ingratiating words. However, in the Venetian dialect, which softens the hard sound of sch (pronounced sk in other regions) to a chewy sh (as in show), Suo schiavo came out sciao, which melted into ciao as it migrated to other parts of Italy.

Italians use “ciao” informally with those they know by first name. A more polite greeting is “Salve!” According to my etymological dictionary, it dates back to the Latin of ancient Rome as a way of extending a welcome and  encouraging  frieds to make themselves at home. The first words of the Catholic prayer, “Hail Mary,” translate as “Salve Regina” (Hail Queen).

The salutation you’re most likely to hear in shops and restaurants is “Buongiorno” (Good day), generally used until lunch time, which is later in the south than in the north. From then on, the typical greeting is buonasera. But if an Italian injects a buonasera in the middle of a conversation, don’t get up to leave. It’s also an ironic way of signalling the end of a task or discussion—or of the impossibility of ever sorting out a thorny problem. As for la buonanotte, save your “good night” until you’re actually going to bed.

Italians we know sometimes take their leave with “ti saluto” or “vi saluto” (I salute or greet you, singular or plural). “Stammi bene!” (Stay well), our good friends say with a hug, kisses to both cheeks, and one ciao after another. “Ci vediamo!” (We’ll see each other!”)  we call out. And then, because we really do hate saying goodbye, we repeat the entire process all over again.

Words and Expressions

a dopo -- until later

alla prossima volta or alla prossima –- until the next time

a presto -- see you soon

a domani –- until tomorrow

addio –- a final, eloquent good-bye

arrivederci –- until we see each other again

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language. 

Traveling in the Italian Language: Up in the Air

 

Un volo 

A flight

In order to prenotare un volo (reserve a flight), I check the orario (schedule) online to find un volo diretto (a direct flight). I look for posti disponibili (seats available) in classe turistica. (economy class), business class (same in Italian), or prima classe (first class). I usually buy un volo di andata e ritorno (a round–trip flight) rather than un volo di sola andata (one-way ticket).

I prefer un posto vicino al finestrino (window seat); my very tall husband, un posto vicino al corridoio (aisle seat). Given life's uncertainties, I hope I don't have to annullare or cambiare il mio volo (cancel or change my flight).

As the date of my partenza (departure) approaches, I double-check the franchigia del bagaglio (luggage allowance), il mio passaporto (my passport) and the orario di partenza (time of departure). The Italian phrase for check-in time is l’orario per le procedure d’accettazione, but, understandably, even native speakers say “check-in.”

I like to arrive early, with my biglietto elettronico (e-ticket) or carta d’imbarco (boarding pass) and my bagaglio a mano (hand luggage). I stay in the sala d’attesa (waiting room) until it’s time to go to the cancello di imbarco (departure gate). 

I’m relieved to hear the announcement that the plane is imbarco immediato (boarding now). I always worry about a ritardo (delay), especially if there’s a sciopero (strike)--whether of i controllori di volo (air traffic controllers), gli assistenti di volo (flight attendants), il personale di terra (ground crew) or i piloti (pilots). 

On board I know I must allacciare la cintura di sicurezza (fasten my seatbelt) before decollo (take-off). The assistente di volo (flight attendant) offers a cuscino  (pillow), coperta (blanket) and cuffie auricolari (headset)  so I can listen to music or watch a movie. However, since it’s a long flight, I prefer to schiacciare un pisolino (take a little nap). 

After atterraggio (landing) at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport (better known as Fiumicino for the nearby town named for a little river or fiume), I take a shuttle to the main terminal. I feel that I have truly arrived in Italy when I hear the announcement, “La navetta sta per arrivare.” (The shuttle—literally little ship—is about to arrive.) 

In the ritiro bagagli (baggage claim) area, I look for a sign indicating my flight number and the luggage carousel. Usually I rent a carrello (cart) to help with my bags. Once I waited, and waited, and waited but la mia valigia non è mai arrivata a destinazione (my suitcase never came). That’s when I learned another essential travel phrase: La mia valigia è stata smarrita. (My suitcase has been lost.) 

It turned up eventually, and I reminded myself that the rewards of travel outweigh its hassles. As Sant’Agostino (St. Augustine) observed very long ago, “Il mondo è un libro e quelli che non viaggiano ne leggono solo una pagina.” (“The world is like a book, and those who don’t travel read only one page of it.”) 

Words and Expressions 

agenzia di viaggio -- travel agency

viaggiare col cavollo di San Francesco -- to go on foot (on the horse of St. Frances)

viaggiare in un baule -- to travel in a trunk, that is, without seeing anything

fare un viaggio e due servizi -- to make one trip and two services or to kill two birds with one stone

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.

Click below for the lyrics of a classic that still makes our spirits fly:

Traveling in the Italian Language: Top Ten Phrases for Tourists

10 Phrases You Shouldn’t Go to Italy Without

If you're packing your suitcases and heading for Italy in the coming months, some practical phrases are sure to come in handy. And so I'm launching a series of posts on "Traveling in the Italian Language."  Let's begin with some essential and quintessentially Italian conversation starters:

*Common courtesies. You’re more likely to get what you ask for when you preface a request with “per favore” (please) and respond to any kindness with “grazie” (thank you).  Prego (literally “I beg”)  can mean, “You’re welcome,” or, in some circumstances, “by all means.”

*Salutations.  Although “ciao!”  has become world-famous, the more polite greeting is   “Buongiorno" (Good Day, used until after lunch or late afternoon, depending on the region) or “Buonasera” (Good Evening).  An alternative more common in the North than the South is “Salve!”  Take your leave with a cheery "Arrivederci!" (See you again! Goodbye!)

*Introductions. In Italian, you don't simply announce your name. You say, "Mi chiamo..." (I call myself).  To find out another person's name, ask, "Come si chiama?" (How do you call yourself?)

*How are you?   When asked “come sta?” you might reply "bene" (well),  "molto bene" (very well) or non c’é male (not bad). If asked “come va?” (how’s it going),  the most common answer is the Italian equivalent of  “okay”: “va bene”  (it’s going well).  A common alternative: “Tutto a posto” (everything’s in order).

*Asking for help.  If it’s a true emergency, shout “Aiuto!”  If you’d like help buying  a souvenir,  ask, “Scusi, può aiutarmi?" (Excuse me, can  you help me?)  If you need directions, say “Scusi, potrebbe indicarmi la strada per....” (Excuse me, can you indicate the way to...) To acknowledge the kindness of a stranger, say, “Lei é molto gentile” (You are very kind).

*Buying.  It’s possible to shop without words anywhere in the world, but the following phrases will serve you well in Italy: Quanto costa? (How much does it cost?)  Posso pagare con la carta di credito? (Can I pay with a credit card?)  “In cash" translates as in contanti.  If you want to try something on, ask “Posso provarlo/a?”

*Time.  To find out  the time, you ask “Che ora é?” (what is the hour?) or "Che ore sono?" (what are the hours?). Italy uses a 24-hour clock (sistema orario a 24 ore) so that 6:00 p.m., for instance, is 18:00 (diciotto). “Mezzo” refers to the half (3:30 is le tre e mezzo); "quarto," to 15 minutes. Le tre meno il quarto is 2:45; le tre e un quarto is 3:15).

*Weather. Everyone talks about it everywhere, but in Italian weather (il tempo) “makes” rather than “is.”  “Fa bello” (literally makes beautiful) means “It’s a nice day.” Weather can also fa brutto (ugly), freddo (cold) or caldo (hot).  On a sunny day, "c’è sole” (there’s sun). "Cloudy" translates as coperto (covered) or nuvoloso; “it’s raining,” as piove.

*Illness. “Sto male” means “I’m feeling bad.”   Common travellers’ complaints  include headache (mal di testa), stomach ache (male di pancia),  fever (febbre) and pain (dolore).  If you're allergic to anything, be sure to say, "Sono allergico a..." 

*Compliments. Memorize at least one of the following: Che bello!  (How beautiful!) Che meraviglia! (How marvelous!)  Favoloso! (Fantastic!).  With any luck, you’ll have many occasions to unfurl these words of praise and delight.

Other Useful Words and Expressions

Sono americano/inglese/ francese/spagnolo, etc. -- I’m American, English, French, Spanish, etc.

Non ho capito -- I didn't/don't understand

Può ripetere, per favore? -- Can you repeat, please?

Parla inglese? -- Do you speak English? 

Come si dice......in italiano? -- How do you say ...... in Italian?

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language. 

Celebrating Mamma in the Italian Language

La festa della mamma 

 Mother's Day 

Every year as the dark, cold winter gave way to the bright rebirth of Spring, the ancient Romans paid tribute to their gods of fertility. One holiday, Matronalia, was dedicated to Juno, the queen of the gods, and children gave gifts to their mothers on this day.  

Traditionally la festa della mamma in Italy fell on May 8. The current practice of celebrating Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May (la seconda domenica di maggio) started in 1957.  

La mamma italiana is part of her family’s life every day of the year--as was mine (above), even though she was 100 percent Polish. Men may hold the highest political offices, but the person at the helm of the family—the strongest Italian institution—is Mamma. Grown men called mammoni (big mama’s boys) remain at home well into their thirties (and sometimes beyond). Mammismo (“momism”), some contend, stems from a son’s belief that nothing could ever compare with amore materno (motherly love). 

Mothers inspired the most common—and versatile --expression in Italian: Mamma mia! You can translate it as “My God!”, “How great!”, “Oh no!”, “Incredible!” and hundreds of other ways—depending on context and inflection. A wide range of human emotions--from surprise to shock, delight to disbelief, joy to horror--can be conveyed in these two words. 

To help children of all ages express their love for Mamma, Italian websites post “auguri” (best wishes) for la festa della mamma. Here are some exampes: 

*”Le rose sono rosse, le viole sono blu, e tu sei la mamma migliore di quaggiù.” (Roses are red, violets are blue, and the best mamma down here is you.) 

*”Mamma, sei la mia vita, sei come un raggio di sole che al mattino mi sveglia con felicità e come la dolce luce di una stella, che la sera accompagna il mio sonno.” (Mamma, you are my life. You are like a ray of sun that awakens me with happiness in the morning and like the sweet light of a star that accompanies my sleep in the evening.) 

*”Mamma, sei la cosa più bella e dolce che la vita mi potesse donare. Ti voglio bene!” (Mamma, you are the most beautiful and sweetest thing that life could give me. I love you!) 

Dianne Hales  is the author of  LA BELLA LINGUA: MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH ITALIAN, THE WORLD’S MOST ENCHANTING LANGUAGE. 

Words and Expressions 

“come mamma l’ha fatto” -- literally as his mother made him: completely naked, in his birthday suit 

casa madre -- mother or head office 

scena madre -- main scene, the most dramatic and revealing scene in a movie or play 

cocco di mamma --mama’s boy, mammone

madre in affitto -- surrogate mother  

le gioie della maternità -- the joys of motherhood 

Click below for a classic tribute to an Italian mamma: 

How a Chocolate Kiss Is Like an Italian Mamma

Il Bacio Perugina e una mamma italiana

The Perugina “Kiss” and an Italian Mom

How is a world-famous chocolate made in Perugia like an Italian mother?

In a delightful essay published in a collection called Italianità, the author Alessandro Guerriero explains that Il Bacio Perugina is like una mamma italiana because:

*non cambia mai (it never changes).

*è un po’ troppo dolce (it’s a little too sweet), ma non priva (but not lacking) a certain tartness.

*come una mamma italiana d’altri tempi (like an old-style Italian mamma), it is ricca di sentenze (rich in sayings) che non servono assolutamente a nulla (that serve absolutely nothing) but make you smile. (Click here for some samples of frasi dei baci Perugina.

*come una mamma Italian d’altri tempi con gli abiti della festa (like an old-style Italian mom dressed in Sunday clothes), it is un po’ sognante (a little dreamy), un po’ futile (a little frivolous), un po’ fane’ (faded) but you become fond of these things because they make her stand out tra migliaia di altre mamme italiane (among millions of other Italian mothers).

*come una mamma italiana di altri tempi vestita con gli abiti della festa (like an old-style Italian mom  dressed in party clothes), it’s nice to encounter her ma non tutti giorni (but not every day).

*come tutte le mamme italiane è da prendere a piccole dosi (like all Italian moms she should be taken in small doses), altrimenti provoca “maldipancia” insormontabili (otherwise she provokes an insurmountable tummy ache).

Of course, there are many other types of kisses, including a mother's baci affettuosi (affectionate kisses). Friends might exchange a bacino or bacetto (little kiss), but you'd reserve a bacio sulla bocca (kiss on the mouth) or a baciozzo (slang) or bacione (hearty kiss or smooch) for a romantic partner. A date usually ends with a bacio della buonanotte (goodnight kiss). Lovers say goodbye with a bacio d’addio (parting kiss). But there's one type of kiss everyone want to avoid: il bacio della morte (the kiss of death).

Words and Expressions

mandare un bacio -- to throw a kiss

sbaciucchio -- continual kissing, smooching

sbacciucchiarsi -- to be always kissing one another,  to smooch, to canoodle (if anyone remember this word)

baciamano -- hand-kissing

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.

Click below for a tribute to an Italian mamma:

Comforting Words in the Italian Language

le condoglianze

condolences

Sooner or later we all enter seasons of loss (perdita) and sorrow (dolore, dispiacere) when we mourn (piangere) for a loved one. The emotions (sentimenti) are the same (gli stessi) throughout the world, and words of compassion (parole di cordoglio), although different in every language, can do much to ease the way through the grieving process (elaborazione del lutto).

Writing an obituary (annuncio funebre) or eulogy (necrologio) is always wrenching for anyone in mourning (in lutto). Composing a condolence letter (lettera di condoglianze) to comfort (dare conforto, confortare) a friend or acquaintance in deep grief (molto addolorato) can also be difficult.

“Nelle occasioni tristi bisogna usare le parole con cautela e discrezione” (on sad occasions it is necessary to use words with caution and discretion), say linguists Valeria della Valle and Giuseppe Patota in Le parole giuste (The Right Words). Above all, you want to “evitare di urtare, involontariamente, la suscettibilità e la sensibilità di persone già provate dal dolore" (avoid upsetting, involuntarily, the susceptibility and sensitivity of people already troubled by suffering).

Many people use a standard phrase such as “Vi esprimiamo le nostre sentite condoglianze” (We express to you our most “felt,” or sincere, sympathy). However, the authors advise avoiding “la parola condoglianze o, peggio ancora, espressioni logore come vive condoglianze” (the word condolences or, still worse, worn expressions such as “heart-felt” condolences). 

It is better to communicate your sympathy and friendship in modo breve (in a brief way), they advise, because in sad circumstances it is possible for words to diventare troppe (become too much). Avoid "lunghi discorsi di tono celebrativo o commemorativo" (long discussions in a celebratory or commemorative tone). The loss (scomparsa) of a loved one should not become an occasion per far sfoggio di retorica (for showing off rhetoric).

Speak or write from the heart, with phrases such as:

*Ti sono vicino -- I am close to you. I’m with you.

*Vi siamo vicini -- We are close to you (plural).

*Partecipo al tuo dolore -- I share in your sadness.

*Siamo con voi -- We are whole-heartedly with you.

*Inviamo queste parole con profonda commozione, profondo dolore -- We send these words with profound emotion, profound sorrow.

I professori (the professors) recommend the same simplicity (la stessa semplicità) in responding to condolences, for example:

*"Grazie per l’affetto dimostrato” -- Thank you for the affection you’ve shown.

*“Grazie per esserci stati vicini”  --- Thank you for having been close to us.

Personally, I thank all of you who have sent comforting words, in English and Italian, to me following the loss of my beloved father. Rimango molto commossa (I remain very touched.)

Words and Expressions

lutto stretto -- deep mourning

piangere un amico –- to mourn (weep for) a friend 

vestirsi a lutto –- to dress in mourning (black)

trigesimo –- thirtieth day after death

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA, My Love Affair with Italian, the World’s Most Enchanting Language.

Click below for a tribute to a "great spirit":   

It’s a Dog’s Life in the Italian Language

Che vita da cani!

It’s a dog’s life!

“Non c’era un cane,” a friend said, describing a village so deserted that there wasn’t a dog (a soul). Usually you find every sort of dog in Italy: cane da caccia (hunting dog), cane da guardia (watchdog), cane da guida (guide dog for the blind), cane da salotto (lap dog), cane lupo (German shepherd), cane da pastore (sheep dog), cane poliziotto (police dog), cane da slitta (sled dog), even a cane antidroga (anti-drug or sniffer dog) at the airports. In every town you see signs that warn “Attenti al cane!” (Beware of the dog). In a canile (dog or animal shelter), you can find many an adorable (cucciolo di cane (puppy), like the pasta-loving one above.

Dogs show up in other forms in Italian. A cruel, heartless, worthless person simply is un cane—and may treats a friend or loved one come un cane (like a dog). A solitary soul seems solo come un cane (alone or lonely as a dog). A bad singer howls come un cane (like a dog). If you’re in terrible pain, you’d say “Mi fa un male cane” (loosely, I feel like a bad dog). Two people who don’t get along are come cane e gatto (like dog and cat—at each other’s throats). A freezing day fa un freddo cane (is dog cold), while any bad weather seems tempo da cani (weather for dogs).

“Non svegliare il can che dorme.” (Don’t wake up a sleeping dog, Italians advise -- in other words, let sleeping dogs lie. English speakers may live in a dog-eat-dog world, but Italians realize that “cane non mangia cane” (dog doesn’t eat dog—or powerful people never hurt each other). They also know that some impossible missions are as futile as trying to drizzar le gambe ai cani (straighten dogs’ legs). Keep trying, and you might end up feeling fortunato o benvenuto come un cane in chiesa (as lucky or as welcome as a dog in church). If so, no one would blame you for saying, “Porco cane!” (slang for “Holy mackerel!” or “Bloody hell!”)

When I first started studying Italian many years ago, I learned only the polite “Lei” form of address.  I honestly figured  that as a tourist I might not need  “il tu,”  the informal you.  Then  I went jogging on a country road in Tuscany.

An agitated man ran up to me and explained that his dog was trapped in a steep ravine. He could push  him from behind, but would I call the dog to come to me? He, of course, addressed me in the respectful “Lei” form.  And I, knowing no other, did the same with the dog. 

The man nearly fell over laughing at the sound of my oh-so-polite imprecations, which translated as, “Mister Dog, would you please be so kind as to come to me?” The dog  just barked even louder -- a good thing, I figured, since can che abbaia non morde (barking dogs don’t bite). 

Words and Expressions

 guinzaglio -- leash

cane barbone –- poodle, spaniel

cane di Terranova –- Newfoundland dog

cane randagio –- stray dog

menare il can per l’aia – lead the dog around the yard or beat around the bush

Dianne Hales is the author of LA BELLA LINGUA: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language. 

Click below to meet a beloved Italian cartoon dog:

Little Easter in the Italian Language

 
Pasquetta

 After the grand religious rituals and elaborate feasts of Easter Sunday, Italians celebrate il lunedi dell’Angelo (Angel’s Monday) with a picnic in the countryside beyond the walls of their cities.  This national holiday is called Pasquetta, or little Easter.

Like so many words with diminutive suffixes, it implies something more personal and appealing.  “Pasqua di rinascita, Pasquetta di festa,” Italians say.  “Easter for rebirth; Pasquetta for party.” The simple picnic dishes feature endless variations on eggs, including frittatine (small omelettes) and tortini (small torte or pies).

I’ve come to think of endings such as –ino, -ello, and –etto as the linguistic equivalent of the heaps of sugar Italians add to a thimbleful of espresso to sweeten its taste.  A bambina (baby girl), like the little angel above, inevitably elicits cries of "Carina!" "Bellina!" "Tesorina!" "Bambolina!"  (Cute! Pretty! Little darling! Baby doll!) Almost everything to do with piccolini (little ones)  merits a diminutive, right down to culetto for a sweet little baby bottom. 

Many diminutives simply signify size or shape.  In contrast to an albero (tree), an alberino is a shrub; an alberello, a sapling; and an alberetto, a dwarf tree. Trousers are calzoni; calzoncini, shorts.    The Italian physicist Enrico Fermi coined the term neutrino  (little neutral one) for a particle even smaller than a neutron.  In music, prestissimo means a little faster than presto;  andantino, not as slow as andante. 

Thanks to diminutives, a sign outside a rustic osteria (a tavern serving simple food) can summarize its entire menu in three variations:

    Pranzo (lunch): 15 euro
    Pranzetto (lighter lunch): 10 euro
    Pranzettino (bite to eat): 5 euro.

Diminutives also can add a clever twist to common words. An especially endearing form of amore is amorino.  Doctors refer to the patient information insert that accompanies a prescription medication as a bugiardino (little liar).  A horse has a coda (tail), but Italian men and women may sport a codina (pony tail). Vento (wind) melts into venticello (a nice little wind), but gentler still is a brezzolina (soft little breeze). 

But not every little thing is a good one.  My Italian friends warn me to beware of people asking for a little anything, whether it’s a tiny little moment of your time (attimino), a peck of a kiss (bacino), or a bit of help (aiutino).  Usually they’re after much more.

Words and Expressions

Figlioli piccini dolore di testa, fanciulli grandini dolore di cuore -- young children, headache; older kids, heartache 

stellina di mogliettina  -- little star of a little wife (literally), a wonderful wife

capellini  (from capelli for hair) -- fine or thin hair (or spaghetti)

casetta (from casa for house) -- little house, cottage

negozietto (from negozio for shop) -- small shop

Dianne Hales is the author of La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language. 

Happy as Easter in the Italian Language

Buona Pasqua, Buona Pasqua Ebraica 

Happy Easter, Happy Passover

Wanting to send holiday best wishes, I looked up at the Italian word for Passover. "Pasqua degli Ebrei" or "Pasqua Ebraica" (Easter of the Hebrewsj was the dictionary definition."Really?" I asked my Facebook friends, who explained that "paschal" blood had marked the doors of Hebrew families exiled  in Egypt. According to my Italian etymological dictionary, the word Pasqua, which dates back to 1342, translates as "la festa che commemora la liberazione dalla schiavitù d'Egito" (the feast that commemorates the liberation from Egyptian slavery).  

Somewhere in time  Pasqua became synonymous with the Christian celebration of Easter.  "Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi"   ("Christmas with your family, Easter with whomever you want"), Italians say. An invitation to  Easter dinner with friends in Italy is a special treat indeed. After forty days of fasting during Quaresima (Lent), Italians celebrate with foods that form a mouth-watering vocabulary of their own.

Throughout Italy the traditional main dish is agnellino al forno  (roasted baby lamb) or capretto (baby goat). Rome’s Easter specialty is abbacchio, a suckling lamb no more than a month or so old.  Because it has ingested only its mother’s milk, its meat is especially tender.  The name comes from the Latin baculum, the cudgel used to kill lambs.  Until a few decades ago, shepherds would lead their flocks into Rome every Spring so people could select victims for the annual slaughter. The word abbacchiato became slang for someone beaten down, physically or mentally.

“Pasta matta”  (crazy dough) encases torta Pasqualina (Easter cake), a traditional savory pie from Piedmont and Liguria. Its distinctive feature is that whole eggs are baked inside.  

Italy’s traditional Easter dessert is Colomba cake, a sweet, eggy, yeasted bread topped with sugared and sliced almonds. Commercial bakers shape this confection into a colomba (dove), the symbol of peace and renewal, but home bakers usually do an oval approximation.

I’ve tried (without success) to explain the popular American Easter symbols of bunny rabbits and hard-boiled eggs to Italian friends.  In Italy uova di Pasqua (Easter eggs) come only in chocolate (or flowers, as in the photo from a florist in Rome above).  Festive displays decorate coffee bars, pastry shops, supermarkets, and chocolate shops in the weeks before Easter, with some mammoth eggs weighing in at nearly 18 pounds.

Although most commercial eggs contain a child’s toy or trinket, Easter eggs aren’t just for the kids (bimbi) in Italy. In the 15th century nobles encased works of art and other extravagances in enormous chocolate eggs. 

The very best modern eggs are still handmade by a cioccolataio, an  artisan  of chocolate, who will insert a surprise supplied by the purchaser. Inside a customized egg a lucky recipient may find jewelry, a watch, car keys—or an engagement ring. This in itself may explain why  “felice come una Pasqua” also translates into being “happy as can be.”

Words and Expressions

vigilia di Pasqua -- Easter eve

il coniglietto -- bunny rabbit

l'agnello pasquale -- the Easter lamb

colomba di Pasqua -- Easter cake

Dianne Hales is author of La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language. 

 

 

April fool--or fish--in the Italian language

il pesce d'aprile

April fool 

According to legend, a raven on Noah’s ark set off on April 1 to search for a sign that the flood waters had receded, but it never returned. Others trace the madcap holiday back to the year 1564, when Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar that changed the beginning of the new year from April 1 to January 1. Some people who didn’t believe or wouldn’t accept the change kept celebrating New Year’s Day on the first of April. Others tried to show how silly these original April fools were  by sending them on pointless errands or tricking them into thinking something false was true.

Somehow the fool came to take the form of a fish in Italy.  Children try to tape a paper cutout of a little fish  (pesciolino) to the back of a schoolmate. “Have you seen it?” they chant. “Who?” the unwitting child asks.  “Il pesce d'aprile!”

In a country of pescatori (fishermen), and marinai  (sailors ), il pesce swims through daily life—and language.  In Italian you’re sano come un pesce  (healthy as a fish rather than an ox).  A big shot is un pesce grosso (big fish).  But be wary: I pesci grossi mangiano i piccini. The big fish eat the small fry. 

You don’t need a pole and bait to go fishing in Italian. Buttarsi a pesce (literally throw yourself like a fish) means to dive into an activity headfirst or with enthusiasm. Non sapere che pesci pigliare (not know which fish to pick) refers to being at a loss and not knowing which way to turn. Rather than the early bird catching the worm, in Italian chi dorme non piglia pesci (he who sleeps doesn’t catch the fish.) 

But in Italy, as everywhere,  “L’ospite è come il pesce; dopo tre giorni puzza.”  (Guests are like fish, after three days they stink.)

 
Words and Expressions

*trattare a pesci in faccia — to mistreat, to humiliate, to mortify

*un pesce fuor d'acqua — a fish out of water

*un pesce lesso — a boiled fish (boring person)

*prendere un granchio -- to take a crab (make a blunder, overshoot the mark)

*pescivendolo -- fishmonger

*pescheria -- fish shop

Dianne Hales is the author of La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.