Travelling is a great way to learn new words, isn’t it?
So, as I’ve just got back from a business trip to Venice, I thought you might be interested in hearing some of the memorable words and expresssions that I picked up while I was there.
Acqua alta
‘La marea’ (the tide) affects the level of the water in Venice’s famous canals. And when there are particularly high tides, you can experience what locals call ‘l’acqua alta’ (high water).
Our host emailed us in advance to warn us that when we left the restaurant on Thursday evening (after a long day of meetings), we’d need rubber boots (‘gli stivali di gomma’).
Stivali di gomma
We felt a bit foolish attending our meetings carrying a plastic bag full of rubber boots, but he was absolutely right. By 11 p.m. we needed the boots!
In busier parts of Venice, you’ll also see the famous “passerelle”, raised walkways provided to keep pedestrians’ feet dry.
But how will you know when to expect l’acqua alta? Check out the ‘previsione’ (forecast) on the Venice Comune website.
Oh, and if you’re actually in Venice and hear something that sounds like an air-raid siren? That’ll be ‘la sirena d’allertamento’ (warning siren) to remind you to change your footwear… There’s the initial ‘air-raid warning’, plus a series of electronic chimes – sort of ‘do re mi’. Each note signals the potential height of the water. The more notes, the higher the tide will be. There’s an explanation, here.
Calle e campi
As my wife reminded me each time I asked her if this was the same piazza we’d walked through a dozen times already, they don’t much use the term ‘piazza’ in Venice. Instead they say ‘campo’. Piazza San Marco is an exception, apparently.
And streets, such as they are, are ‘calle/calli’, not ‘via/vie’.
Spaghetti al nero di seppia
Memorable eats: a steaming plate of spaghetti, each strand dyed a glossy jet black with the ink from a squid. It tasted a lot better than it sounds, I promise you!
Le passerelle
Other food/drink words I picked up were ‘cicchetto’, a little snack like the Spanish ‘tapas’, and my favourite: ‘ombra’ (shade or shadow), the local term for taking a break from the hot sun to drink a glass of wine some place shady.
Study Italian in Venice?
It’s a fantastic place to visit, and as some OnlineItalianClub.com regulars will tell you (Hi, Katy), there’s an excellent Italian school there.
But while I’ve visited many times, and will surely go back again and again, I’m not sure I’d recommend it for a study vacation.
Too many tourists, for one. Ever visited London and not met a single Londoner? If so, you’ll know what I mean…
Definitely worth a visit, though.
And the ‘Regionale veloce’ (fast regional train) from Bologna will get you there in under two hours for about 10 euros each way.
(If you’re thinking about studying Italian in Italy, check out our sponsor: Italian School in Bologna!)
P.S. News tomorrow about this week’s FREE ONLINE CONVERSATION LESSONS… Watch this space.
bruce benson says
Fascinating and useful. Thank you Daniel.
Daniel says
Thank YOU, Bruce. When you coming to dinner again??
Ruth Stephens says
Isn’t it octopus that gives off the black liquid?
We’ve had alta marea here in Perranporth too. As alta as our gate!
I have been disappointed not to see feedback from the conversation lessons. Would love to know how those who were brave enough to participate felt about how it went for them.
Daniel says
Only in Tarzan films, I think. Certainly here, it’s seppie…
John Thomson says
Non dimenticarsi Ruth, se il mio program funzioni la prossima volta le daro feedback.
si ricorda “non me ne frega le errori”
quando iscrivi tu? le lezione online
Ciao
John
a proposito Daniel sono quasi finito il primo parto di “easy italian reader’ e molto utile, bene per far acquisare sicurezza (il dizionario)
Ruth Stephens says
Hai ragione, John. Siccome stiamo tutti imparando non dovremmo cene frega se facciamo gli errori quando parliamo online piu’ di quando scriviamo (ma e’ molto piu’ difficile di parlare perche’ non c’e’ tempo di pensare come esprimerci). Comunque, ti auguro ogni sucesso e aspetto il feedback.
July Rice says
If the squid ink is fresh, this is a pasta molto raffinata – although e appara stranissima. If not fresh, it’s “fishy”tasting. Ukk! The best I tasted was in Santa Barbara, CA – la piu peggio era in Italia! Stivali di gomma sono necessario anche qui in Brandizzo in questi giorni. In nostra zona abbiamo il Po, anche sette fiume piccole e per questo abbiamo paura di acqua alta. Oggi piove molto. (I’m taking John’s advice and not worrying if I make mistakes.)
Daniel says
John’s advice is always good, except when it comes to Scotland and football… (Wonder if he’s reading this?)
John Thomson says
Certamente Daniel, io leggo tutto
Ho prenotato un’altra sessione di “parliamo italiano”, venerdi prossima
spero che qusta volta ci funzioni ( ? congiuntivo)
a proposito – come molta gente, io ho preso la cosa migliore che e venuto da Scozzia – la strada per inghilterra
auguri cordiali
John
Katy Wheeler says
Hi Daniel
I enjoyed your article and your “shout out” to me made me laugh! I’ve just booked my next two weeks in Venice in May and the article made me homesick. I haven’t experienced l’acqua alta yet because I have yet to visit during the Winter (although I’m told this can be the time to go to see the “real Venice”) I agree about the tourists, but I didn’t find it was so bad in the late Spring as in Mid Summer, especially as I was joining the Venetian “rush hour” to get to school for class in the morning, while many tourists I’m sure were still in bed having a lie-in!
Daniel says
Ciao Katy,
We liked ‘your’ school, by the way… That’s where our meeting was. I can see why you want to go back, as they seem like really nice people. And we ate so well!
But you really must try Bologna one day!
Daniel
John Paloini says
A bit fun 🙂 Allora fra inglese e’ italiano vedemo che posto fa ‘correct’ (in single ’ quotes are the English words where I definitely don’t know the Italian equivalent and I don’t have an Italian spell checker on my computer).
Se io voglio imparare italiano in Venezia, io devo sapere come notare ‘swim’ bene . Me deve pacie di mangare ill pesce a ce’ devo ‘have’ gli stivali di gomma, e’ perche ce ne stanno piu turista ‘than’ aborigini, i italiani , e piu facile a andare in giro perche se me perso ‘lost’ ne li calli ‘or’ ne li campi, ‘there will always be someone’ che po parlare inglese/australiano 🙂 :) Si?
‘BTW in Australia at the local school fete’s we often have gum boot throwing competitions and something completely Tasmanian is the ‘Dummy Spitting’, yes a real baby’s dummy, competition, invented by a colourful Tasmanian Federal Government politician in the seventies or there about. Anyway’ quando nun ce’ Aqua alta li Veneziesi, ‘could entertain’ li tourista co le tire di stivali di gomma ‘competitions in the lesser known’ campi.
I’ve probably made a complete fool of myself but I hope you had some fun reading this, it certainly stretched me
Ciao
John
Daniel says
Ciao John!
Dummy (pacifier) in Italian is ‘ciuccio’ (pronounced ‘choo-choo’, like the train). But I don’t think we have ciuccio-spitting contests here, or in Venice!
A presto!
Daniel
John Paloini says
Spero che stai bene Daniel, il tuo risposto ‘with’ ciuccio ‘reminded me of a problem I have and that is when is the letter “c” pronounced “chi” and when is it pronounced like a English “k” are there any simple rules for this, maybe something for a future post?
Grazie
John
Daniel says
Hi John,
It’s here on the site somewhere… Or in one of the e-books. I definitely remember seeing it!
But anyway, as I remember:
c after e or i is pronounced like ‘ch’ in ‘church’ (example: ‘ciuccio’ = dummy or pacifier)
c after h is pronounced like ‘ch’ in ‘chemist’ (example: ‘che’ or ‘chi’)
It’s confusing at first, but easy to remember. Especially when you realise that the problem is that the pronunciation varies IN ENGLISH (chemist, church) but is regular in Italian.
Hope that helps!
John Paloini says
Grazie Daniel, as you say that is very straightforward
Ciao
John