Customer Reviews

2001 Italian and English idioms (2001 Idioms)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a fine bargain at the price. With the number of common idioms in Italian translated into English and common idioms in English set alongside their Italian equivalents, it is invaluable in expressing yourself, especially if you come from an English-speaking background that is in its own cultural flavor peppered heavily with colloquial idioms and expressions. Best thing since sliced bread!

This is an excellent book. The whole point about idioms is that you can't understand them and you can't translate them literally. You need a good, up to date list, and you just have to learn them. In Australia we say weird things like "he's got kangaroos in the top paddock" (he's crazy) or "going for a slash" (going to the bathroom). Even if you speak english, you probably won't understand these terms, and you cannot use a regular dictionary to "translate" them - just doesn't work. So this is a great resource for students trying to understand everyday Italian. It's only drawback is that, published a few years ago, it's due for an update.

This book is very useful in parts: some of the idioms are very easy to incorporate into sentences. However, my main and only gripe about this book is that the translations are not literal. Learners of Italian can read the sample pages provided with this book on Amazon and see that the explanations do not exactly correspond within the context of the sentences. For beginner/intermediate level students of Italian such as myself, this book can be very frustrating when it comes to wanting to know what the non-idiomatic parts of the examples mean.
I recommend this book for more advanced learners of Italian because only higher level students will be able to fully appreciate what it being said in this book. Nevertheless, you could learn it parrot fashion if that is the way you prefer to learn.
A useful book regardless.

Well, don't be scared!!! I'm actually wishing you "Good Luck!" in Italian! In fact, the idiom is "In bocca al lupo!", kind of like the English idiom "Break a leg." I think this book is great if you are serious about learning not only the language, but the culture, the everyday expressions of Italians, and not just speak like a 5 year old. It is most definitely the next step in learning the language for more advanced students. I wouldn't use this just to "whip out" (there's another idiom for you) some cool sentences on your trip. It's not a phrase book. I highly recommend this for more advanced students.

I had high hopes for this book, but it was a bit of a let down. It contains older, more "classic idioms," and gives examples of how they are used in both Italian and English. On a more negative note, it is a little bit outdated, and some of the more common idioms of today are not in it.

Great book for someone who is studying the Italian language and wants to know how to say English Idioms in Italian. I use it both in my school and when I'm writing to the Italian relatives and I want to say something like, "the straw that broke the camel's back" which doesn't transfer literally. Italy has its own version and this book is very helpful in saying it. So, if you want to know Italian idioms, this book is for you. I love it.

Easy to use, focusing on keywords. While some idiomatic phrases don't carry the philosophy and character of the original phrases, these are at least meaningful and useful.