How do you say 'law' in Italian?

It's legge, said with a closed e and a long double g: /ˈleddʒe/, as in 'Qui la legge vieta di fumare dentro i locali pubblici.'

What's the difference between pesca meaning peach and pesca meaning fishing?

With an open e, /ˈpɛska/, pesca means the fruit; with a closed e the same word means fishing.

How do you say 'often' in Italian?

It's spesso, with a closed e and a long double s, as in 'Vengo spesso in questo posto perché la gente è simpatica.'

Open e or closed e in Italian

You're having dinner with Italian friends, and every time you speak someone repeats the word back to you: your e is sometimes open where it should be closed.

The phrase

Ci vediamo questa sera davanti al ristorante.

See you this evening in front of the restaurant.

10 words10 sentences

The ten words

sera/ˈsera/
eveningnoun
The part of the day after sunset, before night.
festa/ˈfɛsta/
partynoun
An occasion when people get together and eat to celebrate something.
legge/ˈleddʒe/
lawnoun
A written rule that everyone in a country must follow.
pesca/ˈpɛska/
peachnoun
A round fruit, with a fuzzy skin and a stone inside.
moglie/ˈmoʎʎe/
wifenoun
The woman someone is married to.
gente/ˈdʒɛnte/
peoplenoun
People in general, seen as a group.
spesso/ˈspesso/
oftenadverb
Many times, frequently.
vero/ˈvero/
trueadjective
That matches how things actually are.
bello/ˈbɛllo/
good-lookingadjective
Pleasant to look at, said of a person.
nero/ˈnero/
blackadjective
The color of coal or of a night with no light.

Spell it1 of 3

Spell it: 10 words

The sentences

Ci vediamo questa sera davanti al ristorante.
See you this evening in front of the restaurant.
Alla festa di ieri sera ho conosciuto un sacco di gente.
At the party last night I met a ton of people.
Qui la legge vieta di fumare dentro i locali pubblici.
Here the law bans smoking inside public places.
Questa pesca è dolce, ne vuoi un pezzo anche tu?
This peach is sweet, do you want a piece too?
Mia moglie arriva più tardi, si è fermata in ufficio.
My wife's coming later, she stayed on at the office.
Nel fine settimana in questo locale viene davvero tanta gente.
On weekends a lot of people come to this place.
Vengo spesso in questo posto perché la gente è simpatica.
I come here often because the people are nice.
Quello che ti hanno detto su di lui non è vero.
What they told you about him isn't true.
Tuo fratello sta bene con quel vestito nero, è proprio bello.
Your brother looks great in that black outfit, he's really good-looking.
Ho comprato un cappotto nero per la festa di stasera.
I bought a black coat for tonight's party.

Pronunciation

legge/ˈleddʒe/
The e is closed and the double g is held long: /ˈleddʒe/.
pesca/ˈpɛska/
With an open e, /ɛ/, it's the fruit; with a closed e the same word means fishing.
moglie/ˈmoʎʎe/
gli is a single sound, /ʎ/, held long: the g isn't heard separately.
gente/ˈdʒɛnte/
The g before e is soft, /dʒ/, and the e after it is open.
spesso/ˈspesso/
The e is closed and the double s is held long.
bello/ˈbɛllo/
The e is open, /ɛ/, and the double l is held long.

Opens with a subscription

Past days are part of the Pass. Practice the first 3 of the 10 words free, or all of them with the Pass.

Get the Pass7 days free, then USD 5.99 a month Today's words are free

Questions

How do you say 'law' in Italian?: It's legge, said with a closed e and a long double g: /ˈleddʒe/, as in 'Qui la legge vieta di fumare dentro i locali pubblici.'
What's the difference between pesca meaning peach and pesca meaning fishing?: With an open e, /ˈpɛska/, pesca means the fruit; with a closed e the same word means fishing.
How do you say 'often' in Italian?: It's spesso, with a closed e and a long double s, as in 'Vengo spesso in questo posto perché la gente è simpatica.'

10 wordsabout 6 min

Spell it Say it

I'm learning

Show Orablo in