Sometimes we do not realise how many English loanwords we have in Italian. Some of them have become very common, such as the very popular OK or weekend, with spellings varying from week end to week-end.

 Italian has also borrowed several English words from the IT field. For example, unlike Spanish and French, where the computer is called ordenador and ordinateur respectively, Italian has kept the original English version. Well… if you want me to be picky, we actually do have a translation for computer, which is calcolatore elettronico, although I would probably be quite puzzled if I ever heard it from anyone! The same applies for the mouse, which is souris in French and ratón in Spanish, but is still a mouse in Italian. Other words such as router and browser have entered the Italian lexicon too.

In addition, the field of economy and finance is full of English words, such as shares, marketing, and branding. Franchising is another loanword that most Italians would understand, together with loft.

However, I have noticed that people who try to use as many Anglicisms as possible are often regarded as quite stuck up, and might risk seeming as though they just use them without actually knowing their real meaning, or bothering to think of an appropriate Italian equivalent. So, pay attention to how many English words you are using in a conversation – you never know how it may affect people’s opinions of you!

There are many more English loanwords in common use in Italy, such as beauty farm and resort. Can you think of more?