If you’re planning on enjoying some holidays during these newly recovered times of –kind of– unrestricted circulation, and you have Italy in mind as your destination, you definitely need to learn some Italian summer vocabulary.
Of course, when it comes to places to go and things to do, Italy is very diverse and showcases a wide range of alternatives, also allowing us an unmistakable opportunity to learn Italian vocabulary. During l’estate (the summer season), la gente va in vacanza (people go on holidays) and wish to target la spiaggia (the beach) as their place to go, lay down on la sabbia (sand) close to il mare (the sea).
WHERE TO GO?
La gente prende il sole (people sunbathe), si spalma la crema solare (they spread the sun cream), si rilassa (they relax/chill) and fa il bagno (they take a bath) in the sea. But people can also do this in piscina (at the swimming pool). In any case, you will need un ombrellone (beach umbrella), and you should wear un costume da bagno (a swimsuit).
A curious sociological event (or drama) that usually develops before the start of the season is the so-called prova costume: the dreaded moment in which people who plan to swarm over through highways and hit the coasts stuff themselves into their bikinis or shorts to find out whether the 4-week-long diet and workout period has in fact paid off. This inexorably happens year after year, inspiring TV ads and infomercials.
As we have more Italian summer vocabulary to come, some other people would rather go to l’agriturismo (holiday farm), where they may have much wider room to andare in bici/bicicletta (ride their bike/bicycle) lungo il lago (along the lake). This can be done on the continent; however, you may as well visit un’isola (island), such as Sicilia, Sardegna or Ischia. And let us not forget le montagne (the mountains), where you can fare una passeggiata per i sentieri (take a stroll/a walk across the pathways).
Of those for whom Italy tends to be the country of choice to spend their summer holidays, traditionally we can count on i tedeschi (Germans), gli inglesi (English people), and even do gli americani/statunitensi (Americans) take the bothers of flying overseas to enjoy la bell’Italia. At times, they also learn Italian.
WHAT TO EAT AND DRINK?
In Italy during the summer fa molto caldo (the weather is very hot) and you may prefer to fight it off with granite (crushed ice flavored with some liquid), gelato (ice cream), a very tasty macedonia (a sort of fruit-made salad with tangerine, watermelon and other thirst-quenching fruits); fresh food is preferred over grigliate (barbecues), although these could be great for the last hours of the afternoon, quando tramonta il sole (when the sun sets), because it can go pretty well with wine, and since the sun sets so late in summer, a barbecue makes for good early dinner.
Do not forget l’insalata di riso (rice salad) or frutta fresca (fresh fruit), mostly l’anguria (watermelon), for which stands and small parlors where you can even take seat outdoors are exclusively open during summer.
There are plenty of drinks available: have una birra fredda o gelata (a cold/chilling beer), un aperitivo (a light drink for before eating or to go with light meals). And if you desire to stick to a healthy lifestyle (well, you nearly flunked la prova costume, so no wonder you’re feeling guilty), l’acqua (water) and even un caffè freddo (iced coffee) will rise as your besties.
Of course, there is more, but we will be calling it a day with this Italian summer vocabulary. We will leave you an Italian vocabulary list summarizing what we just showed you, and some exercises. Enjoy!
ITALIAN VACATION VOCABULARY
PLACES TO GO
- Spiaggia (Beach)
- Mare (Sea)
- Isola (Island)
- Montagna (Mountain)
- Lago (Lake)
- Agriturismo (Farmhouse)
- Piscina (Swimming pool)
ACTIVITIES/EVENTS
- Estate (Summer)
- Andare in vacanza (Going on vacation)
- Rilassarsi (Relax)
- Prendere il sole (Sunbathing)
- Fare il bagno (Bathing)
- Andare in bicicletta (Cycling)
- Spalmare la crema solare (Spreading sunscreen)
- Prova costume (Dress rehearsal)
FOODS
- Granita (Snow cone)
- Gelato (Ice cream)
- Macedonia (Fruit salad)
- Frutta fresca (Fresh fruit)
- Insalata di riso (Rice Salad)
DRINKS
- Aqua (Watter)
- Birra (Beer)
- Aperitivo (Aperitif)
- Caffè freddo (Cold coffee)
OBJECTS
- Ombrellone (Light umbrella)
- Crema solare (Sunscreen)
- Pallone (Ball)
- Crociera (Cruise)
- Pesci (Fish)
- Asciugamano (Beach towel)
- Occhiali da sole (Sunglasses)
- Infradito (Flip flops)
- Secchiello (Bucket)
- Paletta (Shovel)
- Barca (Boat)
- Borsa da spiaggia (Beach)
- Materassino (Beach mat)
- Zaino (Backpack, Rucksack)
- Valigia (Suitcase)
- Macchina fotografica (Camera)
- Borsa frigo (Cool box, Cool bag)
- Cappello (Hat)
WEATHER AND ENVIRONMENT
- Caldo (Hot)
- Sole (Sun)
- Nuvole (Clouds)
- Vento (Wind)
- Sabbia (Sand)
Now that you know the most important Italian summer vocabulary, it’s time to discover the cooking and kitchen vocabulary in Italian with English translation!
