“Il detto della domenica” means “The Sunday Saying” (or expression).
This will be a regular weekly feature on my web/blog-site, and will be a showcase for Italian proverbs, idioms, and tongue twisters.
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This week’s “La fame viene mangiando”, meaning Hunger comes (while) eating, refers to that curious phenomenon whereby you may not feel hungry (‘avere fame’) until you’re actually in the act of eating or seeing the food… and then ‘boom’ out of nowhere, you’re suddenly ravenous!
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While often used in reference to eating, this expression or proverb is also often used in other situations where one might not really feel like doing some thing or activity until actually midstream in the act… calling to mind the English (American) expression “Fake it ’til you make it!”
Practicing “sciolingue,” the Italian equivalent of tongue twisters, is an amusing way to practice and improve your pronunciation.
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Here is this week’s sciolingua/tongue twister:
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“In un piatto cupo poco pepe cape.”
In a dark plate little pepper fits.
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This tongue twister, as with last week’s ["Sora la panca la capra campa..."], seems not too difficult when pronounced slowly, but becomes much more challenging as you pick up the pace! Pay attention, again, to the double ‘t’ by placing extra emphasis on it.
Have you ever wondered about the origin or meaning of an Italian last name? Or how many people there are in Italy with your last name? Or perhaps the most common first names for Italian men and women? And how to pronounce them? Looking for an Italian name for the baby, the pet, or your sweetie?
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Check out this fun and useful site for this and other useful Italian name- and surname-related information. ~ITALIAN NAMES~
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This link goes to the page in English. (There’s a button on the top right you can click to choose the Italian version of the page.) See the lists along the left side from the top of Name and Last Name menu choices.
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Buon apprendimento! . N.B. (This means ‘Nota Bene’, or ‘take note’): Plenty of the choices on this site are links to advertisements. A bit of weeding might be necessary. But the bulk of choices in the Names and Last Names on the top left side are good sources of name info.
From the Dept. of “Don’t Believe Everything You Read in a Translator,” here is a mini compendium of goofy translations by various online translators that students and friends have reported on.
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LOL & Enjoy!
“Secondo piatto” ==> translated as “according to plate”… No kidding! {True meaning: Second course or ‘plate’ in a meal}
“Pamela” ==> translated as “wide-brimmed straw hat” {Intended meaning: the woman’s name}
“Quanto costa? ==> “How much coast?” {True meaning: How much does it cost?}
For learners of Italian, or any language for that matter, listening to and singing along with children’s songs is an excellent way to pick up pronunciation, rhythm, and cadence of a language.
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Their simple melodies make these songs easy to master — in no time you’ll find yourself humming and singing them!
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This week, we’re learning “Ci Vuole un Fiore,” sung by Sergio Endrigo, from the children’s poem by Gianni Rodari. As an added bonus (IMHO), this tune has an eco-conscious, all-are-connected type of theme.
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Lyrics to “Ci Vuole un Fiore” (It Takes a Flower):
E vabbene, mia amica told me that no compendium of Italian love songs would e complete without these…
Ancora, Eduardo De Crescenza, big success at San Remo Festival 1981
Se io se lei, Biagio Antonacci {NB: I’ve always thought this was a sad song about a finished ‘story’, but she claims it’s v. romantic & has brought many couples together!} Here are the words, karaoke style, to this tune: Lyrics.
Happy Valentine’s Day! ~ Buon giorno di San Valentino!
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Here some phrases you might like to use today to woo your valentine in italiano…
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• Ti amo. – I love you. (Used only romantically)
• Amore mio – my love
• Ti voglio bene. – I love/care about you. (Used for all types of relationships: family, friends, lovers)
• Ti voglio benissimo! – I love/care about you very much!
• Sei buono come il pane. – You are as good as bread.
• I tuoi occhi brillano come le stelle. – Your eyes shine like stars.
• Sei bella come una rosa. – You are as beautiful as a rose.
• per sempre – forever
Well, Valentine’s day is nearly upon us… many have mixed feelings about this day, myself included. (Is it just another ‘Hallmark’ day to boost the sales of trinkets… or is there more to it??) Whichever side of the fence you stand on, you still might want to make a ‘bella figura’ [means to 'look good' or make a 'good appearance'] with that someone special… and if that is the case, why not do it in style?
If you go to byki.com you can look the part of Don Giovanni/Giovanna by sending **for free** an online Italian Valentine Card — true, there’s only one choice of card, but it IS gratis, not to mention pretty stylish.
Enjoy, and whatever you do this 14th, remember, the day after is the 15th… and then it’s all over until next year… 02/14/2011!
