30 Minute Italian

In episode 208 of the 30 Minute Italian Podcast, Rachel and I talk about what Christmas holiday is coming up in Florence and the reality of being a foreigner - an American - in Italy. We answer questions like - What’s it like to... Pay bills in Italy? Be far away from friends in Italy? Make Italian friends? Buy a house in Italy?

1 ) Mamma mia, questa (schiacciata) è puro piacere!!! - My goodness, this (schiacciata) is pure pleasure!!! 2) Giulia: Sentirai che bontà… - You’ll see how good it is! You: Olio nuovo? Non l’ho mai sentito dire… – New oil? I’ve never tried it/heard of it. 3) Adoro il sapore dell’olio appena spremuto, mi ricorda l’infanz ia! – I love the freshly pressed oil taste, it reminds me of childhood!

I don’t know about you, but recently I have been feeling pretty filled to the brim with tasks to do, and that reminded me of all of the things I say in Italian to tell others that I have a lot on my plate. I’m sure many of you are in the same boat, and so I thought I would share my favorite expressions with you.

If I had to choose a few words that I’m asked about all the time in Italian, ones like “proprio” and “magari” would surely be up there, but the one I hear about being difficult constantly is “mica”.

Rachel and I talk about what others have been talking about from the news a lot in Italy, what holiday just passed in Florence, and what it's like to be pregnant in Italy. We answer questions like 'What's the difference in Italy and America between': Maternity leave? Preferential treatment? Doctor's appointments? Parties/planned events? Gifts?

We snaked our way through the streets of Florence as we made our way to il mercato di Sant'Ambrogio. I turned toward Mary, “Com’è andata la tua lezione? - How’d your lesson go?” She responded, raising her voice slightly so I could hear her above the clamor, “È andata benissimo, Beatrice è un’insegnante fantastica. - It went well, Beatrice is a fantastic teacher.” In this episode, you’ll hear vocabulary and phrases for talking about Italian lessons.

“Where are you from? - Di dove sei?” It has to be one of the top ten most frequently asked questions when you meet somebody while abroad in Italy. And while you could just simply say, “Colorado” or “Gli Stati Uniti” and end the conversation, what else could you say to describe where you’re from AND get more language practice in?

Learn 14 ways to say "thank you," and 5 ways to say "you're welcome!" in Italian.

Learn 11 phrases to say goodbye in Italian. PSSSST. This is also the LAST episode of the podcast, so you'll want to listen in to hear about what's next and why I've decided to end it.

You'll learn what a beginner language learner's schedule looks like, the type of activities you can do as a beginner, and where you might hold yourself back from making progress.

Part II of the 'How to Start Learning Italian' guide.

Where to start when you decide to learn Italian.

The many ways 'allora' is used in the Italian language.

Christmas: A Thing of Beauty

Sei cose da fare per imparare l'italiano durante i tempi morti