Tips to learn Italian vocabulary faster

Learning a new language can be funny but, sometimes, it can also be frustrating, especially if your native language is very different from the one you’d like to learn.

One of the difficulties you might have is remembering new vocabulary.

Luckily for you, if your native language is English – or you know it quite well – and want to learn Italian, you should know that Italian and English share many similar words.

So, today I’m going to share with you some tips to learn Italian vocabulary faster. If you’re interested in other tips to learn Italian vocabulary have a look also at: Learn Italian faster – Italian vocabulary tips.

-SION -> -SIONE

Let’s start with the first tip.

Many English words end in -sion. Some examples are dimension, division, persuasion, version. In many cases, you can get the Italian equivalent of these words by adding a final -e.

Examples:

Dimension -> Dimensione
Division -> Divisione
Persuasion -> Persuasione
Version -> Versione

What’s the Italian equivalent of discussion, precision, and profession? I’m sure you know it by now.

However, pay attention because not all the English words ending in -sion form their Italian equivalent by adding a final -e.

There are words that, despite adding a finale -e, change also a little bit like explosion which becomes esplosione and cohesion, which becomes coesione.

And there are also words that change completely. An example is delusion that, according to the context, becomes illusione or allucinazione in Italian.

-ATE -> -ATO

The second tip to learn Italian vocabulary faster concerns English adjectives ending in -ate like accurate, considerate, desperate, private. Some of these adjectives have their equivalents in Italian words ending in -ato. All you have to do is replacing the suffix -ate with -ato.

Examples:

Accurate -> Accurato
Considerate -> Considerato
Desperate -> Disperato
Private -> Privato

However, even in this case, remember that this doesn’t apply to every English word ending in -ate.

For example, ultimate in Italian has different translations according to the context but none of them ends in -ato: ultimo, massimo, il top, etc.

-ATE -> -ARE

Let’s go back to English words ending in -ate. This time we focus on verbs such as to anticipate, to create, to calculate, to donate. If you want to find the Italian equivalent of many English verbs ending in -ate, all you have to do is replacing the suffix -ate with -are.

Examples:

To anticipate -> Anticipare
To create -> Creare
To calculate -> Calcolare
To donate -> Donare

Pay attention because not every English verb ending in -ate forms its Italian equivalent in this way. An example is to appreciate that becomes apprezzare in Italian.

-IC -> -ICO

The fourth tip to learn Italian vocabulary faster concerns English adjectives ending in -ic such as ascetic, diabetic, bionic, critic.

In many cases, to get the Italian equivalents of these adjectives you just need to add a final -o to the English words.

Examples:

Ascetic -> Ascetico
Diabetic -> Diabetico
Bionic -> Bionico
Critic -> Critico

Even in this case not all the English words ending in -ic form their Italian equivalent by adding a final -o.

There are words that despite adding a final -o, change a little bit like demonic which becomes demoniaco and alcoholic, which becomes alcolico.

And there are also words that change completely. An example is majestic that becomes maestoso in Italian.

 

For those of you who are just starting to learn Italian from scratch, I hope you’ll find these tips to learn Italian vocabulary faster useful.

For those of you who already know some Italian, have you ever noticed these similarities between English and Italian? Do you want to share other tips to learn Italian vocabulary faster that worked for you?

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Credits

Original image by Wokandapix