Any tourist will have noticed that, even in the un-touristic areas of Italy, you can find English words spattered between the Italian on billboards, graffiti, and even company names. It’s not just in written language either. In the majority of Italian conversations you will find a few English words dropped in, taking you off guard with their Italian pronunciation. For some reason, English seems to be the “fashionable” language here. Perhaps it’s due to American TV shows and films that young people want to imitate, or maybe from a business view the fact that English is the “world language” so can make them seem more international. Whatever the reason, it can help language-learners knowing that for some words they won’t need a translation.
That said…it also leads to some confusion. Somewhere along the way Italian has adopted some English words that we don’t actually use in that way, confusing the heck out of my language students…and me, originally. Luckily I’ve come to understand the most common examples, but on first hearing them both parties were completely lost, since from the Italian’s point of view it was an English word, how could I not understand it?
From a completely nerdy linguistic perspective it fascinates me how these words have probably been adopted for a particular meaning which has somehow been twisted, but I’ll resist my rant on that for your sakes. Let’s get on to some examples instead!
For Italian readers: here’s some words that don’t mean what you think they mean!
For English readers: some insight into the Italian language!
Spot
E.g. “Remember that classic 90s spot?” I only discovered the real meaning of this after a very confusing few minutes with a student, the main problem being that she assumed I understood the word spot. When I started asking her to describe the place, and she couldn’t understand why that was important, we realised we were both missing something! It only got worse when I started directing to the pimples on my face. Honestly I don’t know how this word got adapted into this meaning, but the “translation” is ad, generally a TV ad.
English word used: spot
What this means in Italian: brufolo / posto
Actual English translation: advert (or just ad)
Stage
E.g. “Most people do a stage in their last year of high school.” It took me a while to get this one when I first heard it. My immediate reaction was that they were missing some key word. Teenagers have lots of “stages”, as in phases, they go through. Drinking, playing video games, rebelling? When these suggestions were dismissed, and the student suggested it was related to work, I went to thinking most teenagers have to go to some kind of acting school. Wow, pressure much. But no, not this either. It’s actually the equivalent of a work placement, or even internship if done after high school.
English word used: stage
What this means in Italian: fase / palco
Actual English translation: work placement
Toast
This is one for all the English tourists on their trips to cafes. I remember being super excited to see toast on the menu, thinking about a classic British comfort meal of buttery toast and a cup of tea. What I actually got wasn’t bad either though: a ham and cheese toastie. It might not work so well the other way though. I can imagine the disappointment in offering an Italian a toast and them getting just a piece of bread.
English word used: toast
What this means in Italian: pane tostato
Actual English translation: toasted ham and cheese sandwich (or sometimes ham and cheese toasty)
Box
Imagine my confusion when searching for local apartments, and finding that a few of them were proudly announcing they had a “box”. I had boxes too – all the leftover ones from Christmas decorations – but I didn’t think it would be something worth advertising. My boxes weren’t quite the size they were thinking of though, since theirs can contain cars. Garage is the word you’re looking for. The weirdest thing here? “Garage” also exists in Italian…they just don’t use it.
English word used: box
What this means in Italian: scatola
Actual English translation: garage
Smoking
(When brainstorming vocabulary for clothes, and talking about formal outfits). “If I go to a formal event, I might wear a smoking.” At first, I thought the student had managed to pick up “smoking” as in attractive (smoking hot), and was ready to compliment him on his vocab range, his confidence, and correct him on the form. But a little clarifying made me realise what he actually meant was “suit” or “tuxedo”: as in the traditional gentleman’s smoking suit. So this one actually makes sense, they just took the wrong part of the word.
English word used: smoking
What this means in Italian: fumante
Actual English translation: suit
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