The Angel in the House — Page 11

Vocabulary

Ah

Exclamation expressing realization or emotion

da

From, by, or since; common Italian preposition

dove

Where; used in questions and relative clauses

viene

Comes; third person singular of venire

il

The; masculine singular definite article

dolce

Sweet; also a dessert or sweet food

sollievo

Relief; a feeling of comfort after worry

di

Of, from; very common Italian preposition

oggi

Today; referring to the current day

Questa

This; feminine singular demonstrative pronoun

lieve

Light, slight; describing something gentle or mild

liberazione

Liberation; the act of being set free

ogni

Every, each; used before singular nouns

mia

My; feminine singular possessive adjective

pena

Pain, sorrow; also penalty or punishment

coscienza

Conscience or consciousness; awareness of right and wrong

libera

Frees or free; feminine adjective or verb form

questa

This; feminine singular demonstrative adjective

pace

Peace; state of calm and absence of conflict

feconda

Fertile, fruitful; productive or generative

Queste

These; feminine plural demonstrative adjective

ali

Wings; plural of ala, used literally or figuratively

preghiera

Prayer; a spoken or mental address to God

dolcemente

Sweetly, gently; adverb from dolce

ripiegate

Folded back; past participle of ripiegare

Questo

This; masculine singular demonstrative adjective

amore

Love; deep affection or romantic feeling

calmo

Calm, quiet; free from agitation or disturbance

e

And; basic Italian coordinating conjunction

più

More; used in comparisons or to indicate increase

che

That, which, than; versatile conjunction or pronoun

trionfante

Triumphant; exulting in victory or success

Con

With; preposition indicating accompaniment or manner

quale

Which, what; interrogative or relative pronoun

nessun

No, none; masculine singular negative adjective

male

Evil, harm; something bad or painful

osa

Dares; third person singular of osare

confrontarsi

To compare itself, to confront; reflexive infinitive

gioia

Joy; a feeling of great happiness or delight

non

Not; standard Italian negation word

volge

Turns; third person singular of volgere

lo

The or it; masculine singular article or pronoun

sguardo

Gaze, look; the act or direction of looking

in

In, into; basic Italian locative preposition

alto

High, up; referring to elevated position or height

Per

For, through, by; common Italian preposition

una

A, one; feminine singular indefinite article

fede

Faith; trust or religious belief

troppo

Too, too much; indicating excess

sicura

Sure, certain; feminine adjective meaning confident or safe

per

For, in order to; preposition indicating purpose

la

The; feminine singular definite article

speranza

Hope; expectation of something desired

O

Oh; exclamation of address or emotion

tempo

Time or weather; context-dependent common noun

felice

Happy, fortunate; experiencing or expressing happiness

mutamento

Change, transformation; process of becoming different

fin

Until, up to; shortened form of fino

Non

Not; standard negation at start of sentence

durerà

Will last; third person future of durare

benché

Although, even though; concessive conjunction

teneramente

Tenderly; in a gentle and affectionate manner

nutrito

Nourished, fed; past participle of nutrire

Ben

Well; adverb, shortened form of bene

presto

Soon, quickly; referring to near future or speed

sole

Sun; the star at center of solar system

sembrerà

Will seem; third person future of sembrare

altrettanto

Equally, just as much; indicating equivalent degree

strano

Strange, odd; something unusual or unexpected

Quanto

How much, as much as; used in comparisons

ora

Now, hour; referring to present moment or time unit

nuvola

Cloud; mass of water vapor in the sky

sembra

Seems, appears; third person singular of sembrare

dispersa

Scattered, dispersed; spread or driven apart

Lei

She or formal you; third person feminine pronoun

dal

From the; contraction of da and il

roseto

Rose garden; a place where roses are grown

scosse

Shook; third person past of scuotere

E

And; coordinating conjunction at sentence start

ben

Well; adverb emphasizing certainty or degree

sapeva

Knew; third person imperfect of sapere

io

I; first person singular subject pronoun

sapevo

I knew; first person imperfect of sapere

bene

Well; adverb indicating quality or thoroughness

Come

How, like, as; used in comparisons and questions

ricambiare

To reciprocate; to return a feeling or gesture

sua

Her, his, its; feminine singular possessive adjective

grazia

Grace; elegance, charm, or divine favor

con

With; preposition indicating company or means

silenzio

Silence; absence of sound or speech

rispondendo

Responding; present participle of rispondere

al

To the; contraction of a and il

campanello

Doorbell or small bell; a ringing signal device

del

Of the; contraction of di and il

pranzo

Lunch; the midday meal

Risi

I laughed; first person past of ridere

della

Of the; contraction of di and la

risata

Laugh, laughter; a burst of laughter

rendeva

Made, rendered; third person imperfect of rendere

Ogni

Every; used before singular nouns for totality

malinconia

Melancholy; a feeling of pensive sadness

errata

Wrong, mistaken; feminine past participle of errare

suo

His, her, its; masculine singular possessive adjective

umore

Mood, humor; a person's emotional state

Mostrava

Showed; third person imperfect of mostrare

tale

Such, such a; indicating degree or kind

sicurezza

Confidence, safety; state of being secure or sure

sé

Himself, herself, itself; reflexive pronoun

Così

So, thus; indicating manner or consequence

lieto

Happy, glad; expressing pleasure or contentment

senso

Sense, meaning; a feeling or direction

presente

Present; current moment or being in attendance

sospirai

I sighed; first person past of sospirare

poiché

Since, because; causal conjunction

confesso

I confess; first person present of confessare

Di

Of, to; preposition used with infinitives

essere

To be; fundamental Italian auxiliary and linking verb

mai

Never, ever; negation or emphasis of time

andato

Gone; past participle of andare

a

To, at; basic Italian preposition of place or direction

un

A, an; masculine singular indefinite article

Ballo

Ball, dance; a formal dancing event

o

Or; disjunctive coordinating conjunction

Festa

Party, festival; a celebratory gathering or holiday

uno

One, a; masculine numeral or indefinite article

Spettacolo

Show, spectacle; a performance or public display

se

If, whether; conditional conjunction

nell'

In the; contraction of in and l' before vowel

esplicita

Explicit; clear, direct, and fully expressed

ricerca

Search, research; the act of looking for something

Della

Of the; contraction of di and la

predestinata

Predestined; fated or chosen in advance

compagna

Companion, partner; feminine form of compagno

così

So, in this way; adverb of manner

me

Me; first person singular stressed pronoun

avevo

I had; first person imperfect of avere

vista

Seen or view; past participle of vedere

La

The; feminine singular definite article

possibilità

Possibility; the chance that something could happen

le

The or her; feminine plural article or pronoun

carte

Cards; plural of carta, also papers or documents

promettevano

Promised; third person plural imperfect of promettere

bellezza

Beauty; the quality of being attractive or pleasing

fioriva

Bloomed, flourished; third person imperfect of fiorire

alla

To the, at the; contraction of a and la

luce

Light; illumination from the sun or artificial source

teneri

Tender; masculine plural of tenero, gentle or soft

riguardi

Regards, concerns; plural of riguardo

personali

Personal; relating to a specific individual

nei

In the; contraction of in and i

registri

Registers, records; plural of registro

mio

My; masculine singular possessive adjective

cuore

Heart; the organ or seat of emotion

Segnate

Marked; feminine plural past participle of segnare

rosso

Red; the color of blood or fire

eminentemente

Eminently; to a notable or outstanding degree

belle

Beautiful; feminine plural of bello

Ve

There; unstressed particle, variant of ci or vi

n'

Of them, some; elided form of ne

erano

Were; third person plural imperfect of essere

sedici

Sixteen; the cardinal number 16

delle

Of the, some; contraction of di and le

altre

Others; feminine plural of altro

A

At, to; preposition of direction or location

turno

Turn; one's allotted time or rotation

fino

Until, up to; preposition indicating limit

ad

To, up to; variant of a before vowels

allora

Then, at that time; temporal adverb

state

Been; feminine plural past participle of essere

premura

Care, eagerness; attentive concern or haste

Tre

Three; the cardinal number 3