Italian word of the day: 'Maltempo'
There's no point complaining about today's Italian word.
Here’s a word you may have seen used in Italian news reports more often in recent months and years, as storms, floods and other extreme weather events become increasingly common in Italy.
Maltempo, derived from the Italian words male meaning bad and tempo meaning both weather and time, is sometimes used as a synonym for una tempesta (a storm), or simply to describe stormy or otherwise miserable weather.
It is however a term with connotations of its own. It’s used to describe the type of inclement weather conditions that make you want to stay at home with a cup of Italian hot chocolate. It's the kind of weather that can easily ruin plans and leave the meteopatici among us hiding under the blankets.
Stiamo avendo un maltempo terribile oggi, meglio rimanere a casa.
We're having terrible weather today, better to stay at home.
A causa del maltempo, il volo è stato cancellato.
Due to the bad weather, the flight has been cancelled.
The word's origins are said to date back to ancient Rome, where people believed that bad weather was a sign of the gods' wrath.
The word maltempo itself first appeared in written texts during the Middle Ages when it was used to describe sudden and unexpected changes in the weather that led to disastrous consequences for farmers and sailors.
Over time, the word has evolved to describe any type of unpleasant weather, from rain and wind to snow and hail, with various types of unpleasant consequences.
Il maltempo ha causato un enorme ingorgo sulle strade questa mattina.
The bad weather caused a huge traffic jam on the roads this morning
Ho dovuto annullare il mio weekend al mare a causa del maltempo.
I had to cancel my beach weekend because of the bad weather
Maltempo is a common word in both spoken and written Italian today, and one which is straightforward to use in conversation with your neighbours, friends, and strangers - after all, complaining about the weather is as popular a pastime in Italy as elsewhere.
It seems very typical of the Italian language that even a word used to describe something overwhelmingly negative is quite beautiful and pleasant to say.
So when the skies are grey and the expected warm, sunny Italian weather is nowhere to be seen, at least you’ll be able to talk about it confidently in Italian as you wait for the storm to pass.
As you could say in Italian: Buon tempo e mal tempo non dura tutto il tempo - which roughly translates as “good times (or weather) and bad times (or weather) don’t last forever”.
Do you have a favourite Italian word or expression you'd like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.
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Here’s a word you may have seen used in Italian news reports more often in recent months and years, as storms, floods and other extreme weather events become increasingly common in Italy.
Maltempo, derived from the Italian words male meaning bad and tempo meaning both weather and time, is sometimes used as a synonym for una tempesta (a storm), or simply to describe stormy or otherwise miserable weather.
It is however a term with connotations of its own. It’s used to describe the type of inclement weather conditions that make you want to stay at home with a cup of Italian hot chocolate. It's the kind of weather that can easily ruin plans and leave the meteopatici among us hiding under the blankets.
Stiamo avendo un maltempo terribile oggi, meglio rimanere a casa.
We're having terrible weather today, better to stay at home.
A causa del maltempo, il volo è stato cancellato.
Due to the bad weather, the flight has been cancelled.
The word's origins are said to date back to ancient Rome, where people believed that bad weather was a sign of the gods' wrath.
The word maltempo itself first appeared in written texts during the Middle Ages when it was used to describe sudden and unexpected changes in the weather that led to disastrous consequences for farmers and sailors.
Over time, the word has evolved to describe any type of unpleasant weather, from rain and wind to snow and hail, with various types of unpleasant consequences.
Il maltempo ha causato un enorme ingorgo sulle strade questa mattina.
The bad weather caused a huge traffic jam on the roads this morning
Ho dovuto annullare il mio weekend al mare a causa del maltempo.
I had to cancel my beach weekend because of the bad weather
Maltempo is a common word in both spoken and written Italian today, and one which is straightforward to use in conversation with your neighbours, friends, and strangers - after all, complaining about the weather is as popular a pastime in Italy as elsewhere.
It seems very typical of the Italian language that even a word used to describe something overwhelmingly negative is quite beautiful and pleasant to say.
So when the skies are grey and the expected warm, sunny Italian weather is nowhere to be seen, at least you’ll be able to talk about it confidently in Italian as you wait for the storm to pass.
As you could say in Italian: Buon tempo e mal tempo non dura tutto il tempo - which roughly translates as “good times (or weather) and bad times (or weather) don’t last forever”.
Do you have a favourite Italian word or expression you'd like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.
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