Welcome2italianlanguage NEWSLETTER
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TO BE FREEZING COLD Fare molto freddo / Fare un freddo cane (colloquial)
Oggi fa veramente molto freddo! Oggi fa un freddo cane! (Today is really freezing cold) In Italy we say “fa un freddo cane” (It's a dog cold!). Why?!The most plausible origin of the expression has its roots in the now old practice of leaving the dog outside to guard the house, even in extreme temperatures. Hence the Italian expression mentioning a dog. | | | |
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***OUR JANUARY EVENTS***
- Tuesday 14th January at 4.30pm (UK time) / Reading group. See below for details.
- Tuesday 21st Janaury at 4.30pm (UK time) / Dictation practice. An hour session practising your writing and spelling skills.
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FOR INFO AND REGISTRATION, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH info@welcome2italianlanguage.co.uk
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| READING GROUP / GRUPPO LETTURA | | | Non esiste un'età senza paura. Siamo fragili sempre, da genitori e da figli, quando bisogna ricostruire e quando non si sa nemmeno dove gettare le fondamenta. Ma c'è un momento preciso, quando ci buttiamo nel mondo, in cui siamo esposti e nudi, e il mondo non ci deve ferire. Per questo Lucia, che una notte di trent'anni fa si è salvata per un caso, adesso scruta con spavento il silenzio di sua figlia. Quella notte al Dente del Lupo c'erano tutti. I pastori dell'Appennino, i proprietari del campeggio, i cacciatori, i carabinieri. Tutti, tranne tre ragazze che non c'erano piú.
VINCITORE PREMIO STREGA GIOVANI 2024 VINCITORE LXXVIII PREMIO STREGA 2024 | |
| | | | DID YOU KNOW?
Last Christmas Eve, 2024, Pope Francis, like Pope John Paul II in 1999, has opened the Holy Door (La Porta Santa) to begin a Jubilee Year (Anno del Giubileo) in 2025. It will be an ordinary holy year, in accordance with the tradition of the Church to celebrate such a year every 25 years, to give every generation a chance to experience that special time of grace and mercy in their life. The Holy Doors, found in each of the four Papal Basilicas in Rome, are central to the Jubilee's rites. These doors are normally sealed shut but are opened during a Jubilee year, allowing pilgrims (I pellegrini) a literal and symbolic entry point to a path of spiritual renewal and penance (Rinnovamneto e penitenza). The opening of these doors by the Pope marks the commencement of the Jubilee and symbolizes an invitation from the Church to the faithful to enter into a time of deep spiritual renewal and reconciliation (La riconciliazione). To find out more: https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en.html
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| | On January 6th, Italians celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany (Epifania) with a national public holiday. Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas period and commemorates the presentation of the infant Jesus to the Magi, or three wise men. January 6th is also known as La Befana. In Italian folklore, Befana is an old soot-covered woman or witch who delivers presents (I regali) to Italian children on the night before La Befana (Epiphany Eve). The story goes that on their way to see the infant Jesus, the Magi stopped to ask Befana for directions (Le direzioni) and asked her to join them. She initially refused, but later had a change of heart and tried to find the manger. She was unable to find the baby Jesus and gave the gifts she had brought to other children. To this day, she travels on her broomstick (La scopa) every year on January 5th looking for the manger and giving her presents to any Italian child who leaves out a shoe or hangs up a stocking on Epiphany Eve. This legend (La leggenda) arose in the 13th century and for a long time La Befana was a tradition confined to Rome and the surrounding regions, but this festival has become popular across all of Italy in the last hundred years.
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ITALIAN SAYINGS 
Chi dorme non piglia pesci This saying is used to describe people who are too lazy. It translates to "Who sleeps doesn't catch fish".
Non vedo l'ora This phrase literally translates to "I don't see the hour" and is used to express excitement about an upcoming event. It's similar to the English phrase "I can't wait".
Non avere peli sulla lingua This phrase translates to "not having hairs on the tongue" and means to be straightforward and speak your mind.
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GRAMMAR IN A NUTSHELL
DEFINITE ARTICLES (The) - Use articles il (singular) and i (plural) for masculine nouns that start with a consonant.
Examples: il libro / i libri (the book / the books) - Masculine words that begin with x, y, z and with the groups gn, pn, ps, s + consonant need the articles lo (singular) and gli (plural)
Examples: lo zio / gli zii (the uncle / the uncles) lo psicologo / gli psicologi (the psychologist / the psychologists) lo specchio, lo studente, gli spaghetti - For feminine nouns, use la (singular) and le (plural) for all the nouns (without distinction with regard to the first letters.)
Examples: la matita / le matite (the pencil / the pencils) ***For both the masculine and feminine gender, with singular nouns which start with a vowel, the article is elided and written with an apostrophe: lo/la → l’*** Examples: Masculine nouns: l’ errore / gli errori (the mistake / the mistakes) Feminie nouns: l’ aula / le aule (the classroom / the classrooms)
Would you like to practise? Follow this link to our FREE resource!
 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SfOsCneyrFNkY0UF7UyZGZdStRwgFDlq/view?usp=sharing
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| | | Contact us info@welcome2italianlanguage.co.uk | |
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