½ûÂþÌìÌà ½ûÂþÌìÌà Lesson 4: Friendly People

| Wed, 07/04/2012 - 09:00

I studied ½ûÂþÌìÌà at school and at university and lived in Rome for nearly 5 years. I have started up an ½ûÂþÌìÌà school and have been considering some interesting ways to teach the ½ûÂþÌìÌà language. I listed the top 5 things I love about Italy and came up with:

- Amazing Food
- Stunning Landscape
- Romantic ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ
- Friendly People
- Beautiful Art and Architecture

So I thought - what about teaching ½ûÂþÌìÌà through love and awareness of these wonderful aspects of Italy? I’ve met many friendly people in Italy over the years, and lesson 4 looks at the ways to express the different facets of friendship and universal personality traits in the ½ûÂþÌìÌà language.

Abbraccio Amichevole

Amico/a: friend
Migliore amico/a: best friend
Amicizia: friendship
Ti voglio bene (TVB): I love you (used with family and friends, expresses affection you feel for them, like ‘I wish all the best for you’)
Bacio: kiss
Abbraccio: hug
Carattere: character
±Ê±ð°ù²õ´Ç²Ô²¹±ô¾±³Ùà: personality
Ottimista: optimist
Pessimista: pessimist
Socievole: sociable
Estroverso: extrovert, outgoing
Divertente: fun
Buffo/a: funny
Affidabile: trustworthy
Diligente: hard-working
Testardo/a: stubborn
Geloso/a: jealous
Egoista: selfish
Orgoglioso/a: proud

See below some proverbi sull’amicizia (proverbs on friendship):

- Chi trova un amico trova un tesoro: He who finds a friend, finds a treasure

- Nel bisogno si conosce l'amico: A friend in need is a friend indeed

- L'amico non è conosciuto finché non è perduto: You don’t truly know a friend until you lose him

- Meglio soli che mal accompagnati: It’s better to be alone rather than with bad company

- Cuor sincero, amico vero: A sincere heart, a true friend

- È meglio il morso di un amico che il bacio di un nemico: A bite from a friend is better than a kiss from an enemy

- L’amico certo si conosce nell’incerto: In times of difficulty, you’ll know your true friends

- L’amico di tutti non è amico di nessuno: A friend of everyone is a friend of no one

- Se trovi un amico nuovo non obliar l’antico: If you find a new friend don’t forget your old one

That’s all for now, un bacio a tutti i miei amici (a kiss to all my friends)!


Alesha Keene is an Oxford graduate of ½ûÂþÌìÌà who is now back in London after years spent living and working in Rome as a language teacher and PR consultant. Alesha is CEO and ½ûÂþÌìÌà teacher at Alesha’s ½ûÂþÌìÌà Masterclass, which runs ½ûÂþÌìÌà immersion courses at authentic ½ûÂþÌìÌà cafe AltaMarea in Borough Market (London Bridge). You can contact her at italianmasterclass@hotmail.com or through or . Her website it www.italianmasterclass.co.uk.
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