Learn Italian with LearnItalianPod! In this twenty-third Culture Shot we’ll talk about the most romantic chocolate candy in the world: the “Bacio Perugina”, literally translated as “the kiss from Perugia”! We’ll find out how a simple chocolate candy born with the wrong name made it to become an everlasting Italian icon. We’ll also review and practice irregular verbs and prepositions. Happy Chocolate, everybody!
Culture Shot – Episode Nr. 23
I just got married the day before this was posted, I am going to Italy next week for the honeymoon, and I had Baci Perugina as wedding favors. Everyone loved them! I love how they have romantic saying inside them in several different languages. Thanks in part to this site I could actually understand some of the ones in Italian!
I no doubt should have this figured out by now, but could you explain exactly why the verb was conjugated in the lesson and in test question 4 as “loro sono rimasti”, but the correct answer is “sono rimaste”? I’m guessing it’s because it was proceeded by “quante persone” (fem)? If so, then if the “io” or “tu” referred to Jane it would be “io sono rimasta” or “tu sei rimasta” just as it is “lei e’ rimasta”??? And is this true with every verb conjugated in the past tense with essere? Is it ever true with avere?
Dan, you are correct. “Persona” is a feminine noun, its plural is “persone” – so it is “le persone sono rimaste”, or with another verb (partire – to leave) “le persone sono partite”.
If Massimo is the subject, the sentence becomes “Massimo e’ partito”. If I say the sentence to you, it is “Io sono partito”. If Jane is the subject, then it is “Jane e’ partita”. If Jane says the sentence to you, it is “Io sono partita”. And so on.
This applies, as a general rule, to every verb conjugated in the past tense with essere.
Could you tell me what the Italian tradition is with regard to kissing–do you kiss on one cheek or both? I understanding shaking hands is more a thing that Americans do. Thanks.
In Italy you kiss friends and relatives on both cheeks.
But which cheek do you start with? How do you make sure you don’t crash noses by both heading for the same side?
Any cheek is good to start with – so sometimes yes, nose crashing can happen 🙂
 Hi.
I’m friends with some Italian girls, I’m English.
I battle with my shyness: when I’m brave I kiss them “hello”, but as I see them in a restaurant and leave within an hour (sometimes) I feel, “I’ve just kissed them, I can’t kiss them again”- so I tend to wave and run away.
I worry about offending them, should I be very brave and kiss them goodbye too?
Will they appreciate it, or will it mean nothing to them one way or the other?
I’ve known one for years and the other for weeks.
🙂
Thank you!
Craig
 hi, i am not italian but where i live have things in common with italy, and i can tell you that’s normal give a kiss for hello and one for good-bye, don’t worry is ok but… is your friend is preatty please send me his number hahaha just kiding
mmm well i hope that i help u
 Hi Craig, I’m an Italian girl and what I can tell you is that in Italy it is very common to kiss someone “hello” (even three kisses are common, not only two!) and “goodbye” after just one hour. I guess it dipends on how often you see that person: if you know you’ll see her the day after, then you can just wave and turn away, while if you know you won’t see her for a week, then people tend also to kiss “goodbye”. =)
 Hi …I love this website but in many lessons:- when it’s time to practice the proununciation , too much is said at any one time and by the time I’ve heard the end of the translation I can’t remember the beginning so I can’t practice it. I think the dialogue needs to be broken down into smaller sections for proununciation practice at the end.
 With regards to the kissing, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t actually kiss them; it’s more of a cheek-to-cheek hug. Kiss the air, not the cheek.
… and then there are the hugs. Abbracci is the name of a delicious cookie that is typically eaten for breakfast or as a snack. Ti do dieci baci per cinque abbracci!
http://www.mulinobianco.it/scaffale/biscotti?q=node/43