About the Italian Language

Standard Italian is spoken by Italy's 57 million residents, and is a minority language in Switzerland and Austria, as well as in Somalia, Libya, and Ethiopia, which were once Italian colonies. However, Italian pronunciation varies greatly from region to region. In Tuscany, for example, people who speak Italian pronounce "c" like an "h". Thus, "Coca-Cola con la cannuccia" (Coke with a straw) sounds more like "Hoha-Hola hon la hannuccia." These regional linguistic traits are easy identifiers of a person's hometown.

The modern language spoken in Italy today developed in the 13^th and 14^th centuries. It arose out of Latin and the numerous dialects of the region, and was heavily influenced by the works of Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch. Those literary giants wrote mainly in the Florentine dialect, which evolved into the so-called "Standard Italian" that is recognized today as the national language. In fact, Florence is the only Italian city today that does not have a distinct dialect separate from Standard Italian. In all other regions, it is common to hear dialects spoken, particularly among residents who have lived in the same town for generations. These dialects, vaguely similar to Italian but often unintelligible to people not born in the area, are living reminders of Italy's feudal past and the isolation of its various regions prior to unification.

Italian vocabulary has contributed many words to the English language over the years. Some of these include gondola, regatta, fresco, vendetta, broccoli, volcano, basilica, stucco, terracotta, and inferno. In music, one finds numerous Italian words, such as concerto, sonata, tempo, aria, allegro, staccato, andante, and lento.

False Friends!

With some studying and a good sense of humor, English speakers can usually learn Italian with relative ease. One thing to watch out for when you are learning Italian, though, is false cognates. Cognates are words that have approximately the same spelling and meaning in two different languages. There are many true cognate words in English and Italian, but there are also a number of Italian vocabulary words that can fool you by their false resemblance to English.

For example, the Italian word camera is not something you take pictures with; it actually means room. If you use the word morbido to describe something gruesome, you are really saying that it is soft. And if you ask for confetti at a party, you may be surprised when you are given sugar coated almonds. Above all, don't ask for peperoni on your pizza when you speak Italian - unless you want hot peppers!

Formal and Informal Address

When speaking Italian, as well as in writing, there are two forms of address: formal and informal. The formal is used to show respect and should be used when speaking with people outside of your circle of family and friends. For example, when you speak Italian to store clerks, waiters, bank tellers, teachers, and acquaintances you should address them with the formal "lei" form. Friends, family, children, and pets, on the other hand, may be addressed with the "tu" form. It is also customary for students and young people to use the "tu" form when they speak Italian among themselves, even if they are only passing acquaintances.

Italian Grammar and Italian Pronunciation

Italian is pleasing to the ear, even to those who do not understand a word of the language. It has a highly musical quality, which springs from the fact that all words end in a vowel, with the exception of a few articles, prepositions, and foreign words. The Italian language is also completely phonetic, meaning that every letter corresponds to a specific pronounced sound, making it relatively easy to learn Italian pronunciation and spelling.

Other aspects of the Italian language are more challenging for non-native speakers who are learning Italian. For example, the Italian verb conjugation can be complicated, and there are a multitude of irregular Italian verbs and irregular Italian nouns. Additionally, the rules regarding capitalization in Italian differ somewhat from those in English. For example, the days of the week and names of months are never capitalized. Also, when addressing someone formally in writing, personal pronouns and certain direct object pronouns are capitalized when they occur in the middle of a sentence-- conveying respect for the person addressed.

Regular practice is necessary to learn to speak Italian well. That's why good Italian software can be so useful. It's easier than ever to learn Italian and to begin to speak Italian with the language resources and Italian language software from Transparent Language. With ItalianNow!, WordAce!, KidSpeak, PDQ, and our other language learning products, you will speak Italian, learn Italian vocabulary, conjugate Italian verbs, understand Italian grammar, and master Italian pronunciation quickly. Plus, our Italian translation software, EasyTranslator, will help you translate Italian to English and translate English to Italian. Best of luck with your Italian language learning!

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