Italia - Anyone? C'e' Nessuno?

[TheWizard]

It looks like you are on the right track, then 👍

I am sure that speaking to your grandmother (it's nonna, by the way ) will be really helpful. Good luck with your Italian learning experience.

EDIT: It's weird, because my Canadian/Italian cousins say nonna the same exact way that you did In English two of the same consonant following each other don't really change much the pronounciation of the word, but in Italian, whenever you see two of the same consonant following each other inside a word, that word is supposed to be pronounced stressing that particular couple of consonants more than it would be done if there were only one of them.

The Wizard.

 

[Div is back]

Oups, sorry. I prononce nonna "no" "na", how is it supposed to be pronounced?

 

[dbartucci]

Ciao a tutti,

My father is calabrese, born there and came over (to Canada when he was 4). My nonna lives with us, she hardly speaks any english, except for a few words.
I studied italian in highschool for 3 years, then 1 year at university. I'm always too embarassed to talk. I used to be able to read and write pretty well, but I haven't studied or used it in about 3 years now, I've forgotten a lot. We've (my family) has been musing about going to Italy for a few weeks this May, my dad hasn't been there since he came over, we'd spend a week visting family in Calabria, then travel the country the other 2 weeks. To be honest, I'm worried about my skill in Italian and am anxious about going. I'm sure I'll stand out like a sore thumb (I think have terrible pronounciation) and I have a tough time keeping up. Whenever I watch RAI or the italian news shows on tv they speak so fast

I think I've rambled on long enough.

 

[darkfinal]

I'm not Italian, but I'm spanish so I can understand every word in Italian and Portuguese, but I'm weak in French

Oups, sorry. I prononce nonna "no" "na", how is it supposed to be pronounced?

I guess the 2nd "n" has to be longer, like 2 n's one after other

 

[TheWizard]

To be honest, I'm worried about my skill in Italian and am anxious about going. I'm sure I'll stand out like a sore thumb (I think have terrible pronounciation) and I have a tough time keeping up. Whenever I watch RAI or the italian news shows on tv they speak so fast

Welcome to another Italian/Half-Italian, yet.

I can understand you are quite worried, since you haven't been practicing talking/writing/listening to Italian for quite a long time, but you will do fine. Italians are known to not be able to speak a word of anyhting whenever they go to another country, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem if you can not speak completely perfect. They will still understand you and you will be able to make them understand.

I'm not Italian, but I'm spanish so I can understand every word in Italian and Portuguese, but I'm weak in French

I guess the 2nd "n" has to be longer, like 2 n's one after other

Welcome to what's become the Italian/Half-Italian/Spanish/Whatever Suits You Club 👍

And, to answer Div is back question: yes, that's the correct way of saying it. As I said in my previous post, when two identical consonants follow each other in the same word, they are supposed to be stressed for a longer time.

The Wizard.

 

[Zrow]

Man, I just watched the Godfather 2 the other day. That movie friggen' rules - I need to just cough up the cash and buy the box set.

So how close is Italian to Spanish, language-wise?

 

[TheWizard]

The one you really need to see is The Godfather (the original one). That one rules. I haven't seen the following two, but that one is top notch quality 👍

About Spanish and Italian, they are quite close. They are both heavily based on Latin, and have differences, of course, like every couple of languages, but yet they are very similar.

I can't speak Spanish, but if I hear it or read it I can understand most of the words and the sentence structure.

The Wizard.

 

[vtec_guy]

I am italian divided by 4

 

[Div is back]

I got the Godfather collection in DVD and VHS, a MUST buy!

The original is the best, pure italian fashion.

 

[Giancarlo]

Hi Giancarlo !
I'd love to buy that car too ; I've tested the diesel version and I was positively surprised of the response.
Have you seen the new Alfa Brera Coupè ?
Ciao !

Well i was actually referring to Gran Turismo 4, but i have seen the Brera. It's one of my favorite Alfas. Much more agressive styling.

 

[smellysocks12]

I went to Rome with school once and bought a T-Shirt which was printed full with Italian words that I shouldn't repeat here.


The bus driver was looking at me very angry while I was yelling vaffanculo vaffanculo while reading my t-shirt out loud.



I bet he was like "oh no, another dumb Dutch person".

 

[TheWizard]

The bus driver was looking at me very angry while I was yelling vaffanculo vaffanculo while reading my t-shirt out loud.

It's a good thing most people here don't know what that word means...
...but they can still guess

The Wizard.

 

[Div is back]

Hey guys

Yesterday my brother took a plane for Italy.

He's going there for a month and a half, he's going to travel on his own,alone throughout the entire country, I got family in Turin (sp?) or Turion and in Sicily.