Colori autunnali: Autumn Colors. Italian Autumn Vocabulary

In this post we’re going to learn some Italian autumn vocabulary. First, we’ll start with vocabulary for the beautiful colors of the season. Next, we’ll look at vocabulary related to fall weather and shorter days. After that we’ll talk about fall clothing. Finally, we’ll wrap up our discussion of Italian autumn vocabulary with some expressions to help you capture the calm, quiet mood of the season.

Colori. Colors.

Let’s start with autumn colors. One of the first things that you think about when you think about fall is probably the bellissimi colori (beautiful colors) of the foglie (leaves). At this time of year, the leaves turn rosso (red), arancione (orange), or giallo-oro (gold), before they turn marrone (brown) and cadono (fall) onto the ground. Here are some leaf-peeping phrases for talking about fall in Italian.

• Le foglie stanno cambiando colore.
  The leaves are turning color.
• Gli alberi sono bellissimi in questo periodo dell’anno.
  The trees are beautiful this time of year.
• Le foglie stanno cadendo dagli alberi.
  The leaves are falling off the trees.

Sta facendo più freddo. It’s getting colder.

Now let’s talk about autumn weather. The other thing you think about when you think of autumn is il tempo (the weather). Depending on where you live, fall may be fresco (chilly) or piovoso (rainy), and the skies may be grigio (gray) and nuvoloso (cloudy). Or you may live in a place where the weather doesn’t really change much, so fall is soleggiato (sunny) and caldo (warm), just like the rest of the year. If you do live in a place with seasons, though, here are some phrases to help you talk about the weather.

• È piovoso e nuvoloso.
  It’s rainy and cloudy.
• Le giornate sono fresche e le notti fredde.
  The days are chilly and the nights are cold.
• Il vento sta soffiando sulle foglie.
  The wind is blowing the leaves.
• Il cielo è grigio.
  The sky is gray.

Le giornate sono più corte. The days are getting shorter.

Next, let’s talk about shorter autumn days. Ti sei ricordato di riportare indietro l’orologio? (Did you remember to turn your clock back?) The days were already getting shorter during l’ora legale (Daylight Savings Time), but now it gets buio (dark) very presto (early). Il sole sorge prima (The sun rises) earlier, so you have more light in the morning, but il tramonto (the sunset) is in the late afternoon in a lot of places.

• Quando finisce l’ora legale?
  When does daylight savings time end?
• Ti sei ricordato di riportare indietro l’orologio?
  Did you remember to turn your clock back?
• Fa buio nel pomeriggio.
  It gets dark in the afternoon.
• Il sole sorge più tardi.
  The sun rises later.
• Il sole tramonta prima.
  The sun sets earlier.

Abbigliamento autunnale. Autumn clothes.

Next, let’s turn to autumn clothes. All of these fall changes probably mean a change in your wardrobe, too. It’s time to pack away i tuoi vestiti (your clothes) for temperature calde (warm weather) and get out your giubbotto (jacket), maglione (sweater), felpe (sweatshirt), cappello (hat), and maybe your impermeabile (raincoat). And it may be time to put an extra coperta (blanket) on the bed. If you live somewhere that gets very cold in the winter, it’s probably still too early for your cappotto (winter coat), stivali (boots), sciarpa (scarf), and guanti (gloves), but that will be here soon enough.

• Metto via i vestiti estivi.
  I’m putting summer clothes away.
• Ho bisogno di un giubbotto  stasera.
  I need a jacket tonight.
• Voglio mettermi un maglione o una felpa.
  I want to put on a sweater or a sweatshirt.
• Indosso un cappello quando fa freddo.
  I wear a hat when the weather is cold.
• Dov’è il mio impermeabile?
  Where’s my raincoat?
• Abbiamo bisogno di una coperta stasera.
  We need a blanket tonight.

Sensazioni d’autunno. Autumn mood.

Finally, let’s wrap up our Italian autumn vocabulary with some expressions related to the mood of the season. If you like una tranquilla serata (a calm, quiet evening), and maybe un buon libro (a good book) and una tazza di tè (a cup of tea), you probably enjoy the fall. If you like la luce solare (sunlight), le lunghe giornate (long days), and le calde temperature (warm weather), you might find fall deprimente (depressing) and triste (sad). But at least it means that la primavera (spring) is closer now than it was in the summer!

• Mi piacciono le serate tranquille d’autunno.
  I like the quiet evenings of fall.
• Sto leggendo un buon libro.
  I’m reading a good book.
• Voglio una tazza di tè.
  I want a cup of tea.
• Mi mancano la luce del sole e le lunghe giornate.
  I miss the sunlight and the long days.
• Amo l’autunno, è la mia stagione preferita!
  I love fall, it’s my favorite season.
• Non mi piace l’autunno, è buio, freddo e deprimente.
  I don’t like fall, it’s dark and cold and depressing.

Whatever you think about fall, we hope you enjoy it!

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