Spring — or la primavera — is officially here. It’s that beautiful time of year when the flowers bloom, the birds sing and the evening light stays around a bit longer. Let’s look at some key phrases and vocabulary for speaking spring in Italian. Nature is all around us at this time of year, including:
Le api — bees
Gli uccelli — birds
Le farfalle — butterflies
I fiori — flowers
Gli alberi — trees
Le foglie — leaves
I boccioli — buds
I germogli — shoots
I profumi — smells
In giardino
If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, you probably spend at least some of the season taking part in these activities:
Fare giardinaggio — to do some gardening
Seminare — to plant seeds
Piantare fiori — to plant flowers
Il tempo
Spring weather can vary considerably, so if you’d like to talk about the weather, you’ll need vocabulary to describe glorious sunny days as well as showers and cool weather:
È soleggiato — It’s sunny
È nuvoloso — It’s cloudy
È piovoso — It’s rainy
È ventoso — It’s windy
Fa freddo — It’s cold
Fa caldo — It’s hot
C’è un arcobaleno — There’s a rainbow
Cè un rovescio primaverile — There’s a spring shower / an April shower
Le feste
There are many holidays and festivals in Italy during this time of year, such as:
Pasqua — Easter (March or April)
La festa del papà — Father’s Day (March 19)
Il giorno della liberazione — Liberation Day (April 25)
La festa del lavoro — Labor Day (May 1)
La festa della repubblica — Republic Day (June 2)
It’s a wonderful time of year to celebrate with friends and family, and take part in activities like:
Fare delle passeggiate — to go for walks
Scattare foto — to take photos
Fare una gita — to take a day trip
Fare un picnic — to have a picnic
Fare una grigliata — to have a barbecue
Fare una festa in giardino — to have a garden party
Andare in vacanza — to go on holiday
Giocare all’aria aperta — to play outside
Andare in bicicletta — to go for a bike ride
Primavera proverbs
Aprile, dolce dormire.
This saying means that one sleeps well in April. As the weather improves, some say that it encourages people to rest more.
Una rondine non fa primavera.
In English, we say “one swallow does not make a summer,” whereas in Italian the saying is “one swallow does not make a spring.” If you see just one swallow, it doesn’t necessarily mean spring is on its way.
Wherever you are, may the joys of la primavera be with you!
