in italiano, please

giacca (f., sostantivo; pl. giacche) - jacket; the use of the word is similar to the use of the English word, the only difference: Italian "giacche" are often more fashionable than "jackets"

casa (f, sostantivo, pl. case) - house and home; when an Italian talks about "la casa" he may refer to his house or his apartment, the place where he currently lives. "Casa mia", however,  usually refers to the parents' house even if an Italian has his own house with his wife and kids. Often times "casa" is more than just the house or the apartment, but "essere a casa" means being at home.

notte (l., sostantivo) - night; "buonanotte" means "good night", very important to know. Italians use this  phrase just the same, thus, when going to bed.  Prior to this you would say "buonasera" which means "good evening".

Ognissanti or Tutti i Santi (m., sostantivo; invariabile) - All Saints' Day; this holiday honours all saints, known or unknown, on November 1st. Halloween, the night before All Saints' Day is not a common celebration in Italy. Each year stores offer more and more Halloween decorations, but children do not go trick-or-treating. On All Saints' Day Italians remember their loved ones who passed away and visit the cemetery. Graves are decorated with candles and flowers.

bacio (m, sostantivo, pl. baci) - kiss; this should have been the first Italian word to post here, because what could be more important than a kiss? "Bacio" is not only used as a closing phrases for a text message or an e-mail but Italians also say "bacio" when talking to a family member on the phone or at the end on a conversation with a close friend. B-A-C-I-O... what word could sound more Italian?

ombrellone (sostantivo, m.) - parasol (by Italians often translated as "beach umbrella"); most of Italy's beaches are equipped with parasols. It is an Italian tradition to rent your parasol, often times the same position such as first row, third one from the right) at the nearest beach to you.  Italians rent day by day or seasonally. Each rental includes two beach beds or decker chairs. Renting an "ombrellone" can be quite pricy, but it is still the thing to do and very practical in the summer since you do not want to get burned by the sun. Plus there are always bathrooms and a beach bar near by. However, I am happy once the season is over and the parasols are taken to the storage for the winter.

eccomi (avverbio + pronome personale) - here I am or I am here; can be used as a response when someone is calling you: "MJ?", "Eccomi." Often also used as "eccomi qua" with the emphasis on "qua" = "here". I hear people use "eccomi" when they enter a room instead of saying "buongiorno", as if someone was waiting for them. That's kind of rude, I think.

spazzolino da denti (m, pl. spazzolini da denti) - toothbrush; can also simply be called "spazzolino". Just be careful: do not call for a "spazzolone" when you are about to start your dental hygiene as this is a larger type of brush such as a broom or a toilet brush.  


brioche (f, pl. brioche) - type of bread or pastry in various shapes that is usually eaten for breakfast. A typical Italian would have breakfast at a bar and order a "cappuccino con brioche". In the region where I live, a brioche is mostly a croissant that is either plain or filled with jam, cream, chocolate, nutella or almond paste. 


accappatoio (m, pl. accappatoi) - bathrobe (difficult to pronounce; this was one of the first words I learned in Italian and thought "when will I ever use this word?" The answer is: many many times. Italians love their "accappatoio").