https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed One of the simplest rules in the Italian language is broken almost constantly - here's why. https://www.thelocal.it/20260414/italian-grammar-quirks-why-some-words-that-end-in-a-are-masculine Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:33:57 +0200 italian-grammar-quirks-why-some-words-that-end-in-a-are-masculine Italians are huge fans of acronyms, making reading Italian news or partaking in discussions that extra bit tricky. To help you navigate the alphabet soup, here are the top Italian acronyms you need to know. https://www.thelocal.it/20210525/most-common-italian-acronyms-explained Tue, 25 May 2021 18:26:18 +0200 most-common-italian-acronyms-explained Fancy vocab isn't the only way to impress your friends in Italy – these quirky interjections could actually be the key to sounding like a local. https://www.thelocal.it/20240502/boh-mah-eh-five-strange-noises-italians-make-and-what-they-mean Thu, 02 May 2024 14:19:53 +0200 boh-mah-eh-five-strange-noises-italians-make-and-what-they-mean Italy's five-day Sanremo Music Festival brings the nation together - and leaves many non-Italians baffled. So what exactly is going on? https://www.thelocal.it/20240208/five-italian-words-that-help-explain-the-sanremo-song-contest Thu, 08 Feb 2024 17:02:41 +0100 five-italian-words-that-help-explain-the-sanremo-song-contest Italy may be better known for being balmy and bright, but Italians have plenty of colourful expressions for cold and rainy weather. https://www.thelocal.it/20211202/ten-phrases-to-talk-about-cold-and-wet-weather-like-a-true-italian Thu, 02 Dec 2021 15:57:53 +0100 ten-phrases-to-talk-about-cold-and-wet-weather-like-a-true-italian The list of new Italian words published this week by the Treccani Institute covers everything from politics to celebrity gossip, with loan words from both English and German. https://www.thelocal.it/20251229/full-list-the-new-italian-words-that-defined-2025 Mon, 29 Dec 2025 13:25:54 +0100 full-list-the-new-italian-words-that-defined-2025 If you’re planning to relocate to Italy and hope to immerse yourself in the culture, start with an Italian movie night. https://www.thelocal.it/20251002/seven-essential-films-to-watch-before-moving-to-italy Thu, 02 Oct 2025 17:43:12 +0200 seven-essential-films-to-watch-before-moving-to-italy From historical dramas to true crime docuseries, these are some of the best Italian-language Netflix original shows worth watching now. https://www.thelocal.it/20251010/seven-of-the-best-italian-netflix-shows-to-stream-in-2025 Fri, 10 Oct 2025 14:49:05 +0200 seven-of-the-best-italian-netflix-shows-to-stream-in-2025 Many Italian greetings are popular even outside of Italy. But do you know the unwritten social rules around when and how to use them? https://www.thelocal.it/20230921/buongiorno-buonasera-buonanotte-when-and-how-to-use-them Thu, 21 Sep 2023 18:58:20 +0200 buongiorno-buonasera-buonanotte-when-and-how-to-use-them From full barrels and drunk wives to catching fish, the Italian language has its own unique way of expressing the sentiments behind some of the most popular English sayings. https://www.thelocal.it/20230526/revealed-the-italian-versions-of-11-famous-english-sayings Fri, 26 May 2023 12:09:57 +0200 revealed-the-italian-versions-of-11-famous-english-sayings Listening to podcasts is a great way to immerse yourself in a new language. Whether you’re just beginning your journey to proficiency or are already at an advanced level, here's a list of audio shows that will help you improve your Italian. https://www.thelocal.it/20250811/nine-of-the-best-podcasts-for-learners-of-italian Mon, 11 Aug 2025 18:49:23 +0200 nine-of-the-best-podcasts-for-learners-of-italian If you're spending your summer in Italy, you'll want to familiarise yourself with some key words and phrases. From sand and sunloungers to summer hits, we've got you covered. https://www.thelocal.it/20230620/the-essential-vocabulary-youll-need-for-an-italian-summer Tue, 20 Jun 2023 15:28:43 +0200 the-essential-vocabulary-youll-need-for-an-italian-summer Travelling in Italy this summer? Knowing how to use some commonly misunderstood transport-related vocabulary will help you on your way. https://www.thelocal.it/20250626/the-key-italian-words-you-wont-want-to-mix-up-when-travelling Thu, 26 Jun 2025 15:22:31 +0200 the-key-italian-words-you-wont-want-to-mix-up-when-travelling The Italian language famously has a large number of verb tenses. But how many of them do you really need to know at first? https://www.thelocal.it/20191211/which-italian-verb-tenses-are-the-most-useful Wed, 11 Dec 2019 12:52:11 +0100 which-italian-verb-tenses-are-the-most-useful Multilingualism might come with plenty of benefits, but it also causes its fair share of confusion - especially when you realise your native language no longer comes as naturally to you as it used to. https://www.thelocal.it/20190527/the-twelve-ways-speaking-italian-will-mess-up-your-english Mon, 27 May 2019 16:38:39 +0200 the-twelve-ways-speaking-italian-will-mess-up-your-english With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Italian has no shortage of words and phrases that might come in handy over the next few days – though you may never learn these in Italian class. https://www.thelocal.it/20200214/vocabulary-flirting-love-sex-dating-italian-words-romantic-phrases Fri, 14 Feb 2020 15:14:43 +0100 vocabulary-flirting-love-sex-dating-italian-words-romantic-phrases If you plan on celebrating the winter holidays in Italy, you'll want to familiarise yourself with some essential Italian Christmas vocabulary. https://www.thelocal.it/20211221/ten-words-you-need-to-know-for-an-italian-christmas Tue, 21 Dec 2021 13:20:09 +0100 ten-words-you-need-to-know-for-an-italian-christmas Messaging someone in Italian can be tricky if abbreviations and acronyms are used in place of full words. Here are some of the most popular 'abbreviazioni' you're likely to come across in everyday text conversations. https://www.thelocal.it/20241010/xke-cmq-qlcs-20-key-italian-textspeak-abbreviations-you-should-know Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:24:58 +0200 xke-cmq-qlcs-20-key-italian-textspeak-abbreviations-you-should-know Popular Italian dictionary Zingarelli has unveiled 10 neologisms that will be included in its 2025 edition, with six borrowed directly from English. https://www.thelocal.it/20240910/revealed-10-new-italian-words-to-expect-in-2025 Tue, 10 Sep 2024 17:28:47 +0200 revealed-10-new-italian-words-to-expect-in-2025 Italian grammar is notoriously difficult and diminutive suffixes are no exception. Here’s what you need to know about ‘shrinking’ Italian words. https://www.thelocal.it/20230328/etto-ino-ello-how-to-make-italian-words-smaller Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:54:31 +0200 etto-ino-ello-how-to-make-italian-words-smaller