Five Favorite Italian Words

My friend, Lori, over at Cradle and All tagged me on this post. Lori did such a great job on hers that I wanted to have something equally inspiring to share. My Italian, unfortunately, is very limited, and what I do know I don't seem to be able to spell. However, in the spirit of good sportsmanship, I shall give it a whirl.

1. Mezzo - This may not seem like that exciting a word to you, but I was thrilled to find out how to say half. Considering that a kilo is equal to 2.2 pounds, I kept coming home from the market with a lot of fruit. The use of this word cut my fruit purchases in half -- literally.

2. Come stai? Actually more of a phrase than a word, but I love these two little words. One, because they were two of the first words I learned in Italian. Two, because they open a world of conversation. Even if they remain two of the only words I know, most of the Italians I have met remained thrilled that you make half an effort. Or should I say a mezzo effort?

3. Stanca - An all purpose word. If you're ever doing less than bene when someone asks you come stai, this word seems to be a sufficient response. It also seems to cover the situation well when baby boy is being fussy and I don't know how to tell them he's teething. Although recently I learned that has something to do with dente.

4. Allora - I swore when I first heard this word that I would start using it more often. It means "then" or "now then." I'm not sure when I would use it exactly, although the Italians seem to use it when moving on to their next point or trying to get everyone's attention. Personally, I just think it sounds neat. Especially when Andrea says it with his Australian accent.

5. Capisce - To this day I can't help but laugh every time I hear this word as I think of Rick Moranis and Steve Martin who say "capeesh." Actually, the verb is pronounced "cuh-pees-kay" but like a lot of other Italian words, the ending gets a bit slurred. Which is why everyone still tells each other "graw-zee!" "Don't say it. It hurts my ears when you say it."

Now I'm supposed to tag a couple of people for this post, so I shall tag my sister who was attempting valiantly to learn Italian before her visit and my friend Roni if she still drops in on my site. For now ... Ciao!