I've been promising myself I'd learn some for at least 10 years, from time-to-time approaching this Italian teacher or that with a view to one-to-one lessons - I'm not very good at 'class' stuff, I told myself.

I have even made the acquaintance of a pleasant Italian gent who lives down the street who often stops to chat while I'm cleaning the coop and recently I tried to twist his arm into drumming some conversational Italian in my direction - nothing has yet transpired.

But Mrs Edinburgh has just decided to start Spanish classes (our daughter-in-law is from there - Catalunya actually) so that
a) she can converse a bit with our grand-daughter who is learning it at school in Dubai and
b) use it if we go to Spain on holiday, as in this year, where my smattering (picked up in the gutters of Nicaragua decades ago) is usually enough to get by.

Bull, rag, red etc...so that was enough, I've enrolled for Beginners' Italian in a local Adult Education Course starting end of the month, a couple of hours a week

It'a such a great-sounding language and no surprise it's so strongly connected with (classical) music. One instance really brought it home when arriving in Rome Ciampino, eventually catching the crowded metro into the city centre. In the crush with my head bent sideways I read what looked like an Italian warning above the door's window:

non appoggiarsi alle porte

Okay, 'non' I can guess, 'porte' is probably 'doors', it must mean Don't Lean on the Doors (I'm quick) then ah....appoggiare....of course, in music an appoggiatura is a note to be 'leant' on; and so my education continued

Then, comparing our own parsimonious word 'lean' with the far more interesting
'A-pogg-i-ar-e' with its multiplicity of sounds, is when it dawned on me how much value it contained.

I know we host some Italian speakers, hands up anyone?

I know some Latin.

Picked it up from some soldiers when I was a lad.


Try translating this

DUIT ON MON DEI

You've guessed when the weekly class is!

I’m very converse in Doric

Anita speaks some Italian... I can do the bit with the fingers held just so: "Sono Montalbano!"

Curiously, I was recently fed an odd comparison of Germanic root languages (which Italian obviously isn't) given by a gentleman from (I believe) the far east somewhere... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryVG5LHRMJ4

Neil

p.s. A wand'ring minstrel I, a thing of shreds and patches...

Lo parlo io. Like you, I found an adult education class, about 20 years ago! For the last 10 years or so I've been in a weekly conversation group, with a native italian teacher. I really enjoy it, and it's always appreciated when you're on holiday in Italy.
Useful apps: Google Translate, which is good for whole phrases. And Word Reference, which is really useful for conjugating verbs. Good luck!

For some reason wink I had you as a native Italian

Agree about the genuine article though as a teacher to get the sound as authentic as possible (given that there are probably differences in dialect from top to toe...)

Another reason for learning would be the opportunity to try it out (and get thoroughly corrected) at Turin next year for the 30th anniversary trip

When one considers the excellent grasp of our language by so many foreign nationals I always feel it's like a respect to attempt to say at least something in the lingo of a country other than ours. Mostly (often French ) they cotton on right away and immediately answer you back in your own language far more fluently! But at least one tries.

I find it great fun.

I speak bad French very well. It seems to work and breaks down barriers.

If you go out of the city, people are less experienced at speaking English, and like us, are reluctant to speak English, and show themselves up.

If you try, then everyone joins in and you usually muddle through.

When learning, get good at some basics first, then build on it.
Politeness goes a long way, so don't forget to smile, say hello, please and thank you.

You might also buy a magazine in the language of your main interest.
I buy the AutoExpress equivalent, you know the topic and can guess the bits that are new to you.

One of my relatives has an English dad and Lebanese mum. She speaks English, Arabic, Spanish, French and is thinking of starting Italian. The main surprise to me was that she also speaks Mandarin !
I can't even peel one.

Paul - was that when they were building Hadrians Wall

Yes it was.

Managed this weekend to get an old tree chopped down to make way for an outside toilet.

Did you have a particular axe to grind?

I feel terrible, trivialising the tree felling.

I apologise.

Paul

Hauling it back to topic; Sei perdonato

Grazia

'Grazie'.
Prego

Thanks wink, I didn't feel qualified to do owt but button my lip over that one




Tutto a posto

Think I need to go on that course with Edinburgh

Latest favourite word.

MOZZAFIATO, meaning "Breathtaking"


Couldn't describe it any better

I think you know both my parents, and my wifes parents are from Italy, mines are from near Lucca , Delia's are from near Naples ,you could say we are 100% Italian parts ,but assembled in the UK
- Delia speaks fluent Italian ,and did Italian translation at uni , sadly I can just get by ....but seemingly, far better when I've had a glass of vino or 2 or 3 or 4

best Italian word ??....

Ooofa ....basically means wtf about everything

Funny, we were just given a load of Italian (Rome-based) slang in our class last night

Do I know your folks Paul?

Lucca

Barga perhaps?

Yes well on my dads side, my Nonna is from Bagni di Lucca ...common quick translation ( baths of Lucca ) , but my Nonno , is from a tiny village ( 2 yes, 2 houses, called Abettiao -- I think thats the correct spelling , one house was owned my us, Santi and the other was owned by Pieri ) , which I literally just outside Barga, my brother (Ericand his wife Laura who is/ was a Conneta ) goes every year, and I am going to a wedding there in July this year, where my friends daughter is getting married ( and err yes she is is a ...Pieri !!! . . her fathers name is Johhny , he's very well known in Barga , his mum and sister still live there ).

I also have a cousin Brian who has a house just outside of Barga , he is a Corrigan , my dads sister married a Corrigan over 70 years ago ,a big 'thing' in those days .



small world !!

I'm getting the feeling that maybe it was your dad whom I met at Hopetoun House many years ago? And that he was PaulS and you are now paul, perhaps the person that was assisting with the sale of some tan upholstery a few years back?

Anyway one of you still may have a cinquecento at Alfonso's (last time I looked) where we might be getting some work done on our project coupé...

Theme from the Godfather playing in the background while I read this !

ha ha where to start

Pauls & Paul on here are the same person ....Me ( changed from Pauls to Paul ,when the site was re booted many years ago ( I am 66 OMG that old !! how did that happen ) ,

Tan front seats ,yup also me, from my coupe, when I replaced the fronts with Tan covered Recaros to match the tan interior of my coupe , my son ( Sandro he is 34 ) now had the original Tan seats for sale .

and err, I think it was also me who told you about Alfonso's in Edinburgh .. He had my Alfa 147 GTA as well (Pearlescent White one )

and lastly , Yes that was my Cinquecento he had last year ( well actually my wife's anniversary present A blue one with tan interior ?)

My dad was never that much into car shows etc , so never went to Hopetoun House , and I don't think I've ever been to Italian Car day at Hopetoun House yet either , only because I used to work on a Sunday , but sold our business so hoping to go this year

One day at a time... just... one damn day at a time

Neil

yup ohhh soo true

We’ve just booked our summer holiday to Italy and my wife and daughter have added Italian to their Duolingo and are cracking on with learning it. My daughter is at secondary school learning French, German and Spanish at the moment and she seems to enjoy using Duolingo to assist with that.

The free version of Duolingo is ok but it does show quite a few adverts although they seem to become less frequent the longer your play session. They usually offer a few weeks of free access to the premium mode when you first start using it which is much more enjoyable. So you can give it a try and see if you like it.

Thanks for that advice

I would like to improve my French.
I speak French like Edward Heath.
I'd he had come from Middlesbrough.