Next week, as I write this lesson, it will already be the final week of May, and forecasts suggest we’ll finally reach 30 degrees here in northern Italy. As we ease into summer (estate), I’ve dedicated this post to this wonderful season.
Whether you’re just starting out or refining your Italian, summer is the perfect theme for building vocabulary. Here are three lessons — one for each level — designed to get you speaking, writing, and thinking in Italian this estate.
In this lesson, you’ll get:
- Vocabulary
- Memorising techniques
- Games
- Practice activities
- And more…
Beginner — L’estate: parole comuni (Common summer words)
Summer is full of vivid, concrete things — perfect for building your first Italian vocabulary bank. Learn these essential words with our association memory technique (see below) and you’ll be able to talk about the season like a local.
Word list
| Italian | English |
| il sole | the sun |
| il mare | the sea |
| la spiaggia | the beach |
| l’ombrellone (m.) | the beach umbrella |
| il costume da bagno | the swimsuit |
| il gelato | the ice cream |
| la crema solare | the sunscreen |
| il caldo | the heat |
| le vacanze | the holidays / vacation |
| la piscina | the swimming pool |
| l’onda (f.) | the wave |
| l’estate (f.) | the summer |
Game – Gioco
Memorise for a few minutes the vocab in the table above, then play this game and see how many you can do:
VOCABOLARIO ESTATE – MI – Anagram
✏️ Memory technique
Another very effective way to memorise vocabulary is to create vivid mental images and connect the word, its sound, and its meaning together. The stranger or more imaginative the image, the more memorable it becomes. Try using our association technique with examples like these:
| Il sole | Pronounced as in: so-leh. Think of a solo sunshine, the Think of the sun shining completely solo in the sky. A giant glowing sun wearing sunglasses, singing a solo performance above the clouds. So-leh… solo… sole. Remember the gender with its opposite: il sole 🌞 but la luna 🌙 |
| Il mare | Pronounced as in: mah-reh Think of a mare galloping through the sea waves. Imagine the marine life Imagine a beautiful mare galloping through the sea, splashing through the waves while fish and dolphins leap around her. Mare… mare… il mare. Remember the gender by connecting the word to another of opposite gender: il mare 🌊 but la spiaggia 🏖️ |
| La piscina | Picture a giant inflatable letter “P” floating in a swimming pool. Sitting on top is a little girl happily drifting along. No need to remember the gender, it ends in -a, and therefore it is a feminine noun. |
✏️ Activity 2
Answer these questions in Italian (even just one sentence each!):
- Preferisci il mare o la piscina? Preferisco… perché…
- Mangi spesso il gelato d’estate?
- Dove vai in vacanza di solito? Di solito, vado….
Intermediate — Le emozioni estive (Summer emotions)
Summer isn’t just sunshine — it’s also a season of feelings. This lesson pushes you beyond felice and triste to express the emotional texture of the season.
Word list
| Italian | English | Example sentence |
| spensierato/a | carefree | D’estate mi sento spensierata. |
| nostalgico/a | nostalgic | Questa canzone mi rende nostalgico. |
| rilassato/a | relaxed | Sono completamente rilassato in spiaggia. |
| euforico/a | euphoric / elated | Il primo giorno di vacanza sono sempre euforica. |
| malinconico/a | melancholic | La fine dell’estate mi rende malinconico. |
| annoiato/a | bored | I bambini si annoiano quando fa troppo caldo e non possono uscire. |
| entusiasta | enthusiastic | Sono entusiasta di partire per le vacanze! |
| stressato/a | stressed | Prima di partire sono sempre stressata. |
| commosso/a | moved / touched | Il tramonto sul mare mi ha commosso. |
| a disagio | uncomfortable | Mi sento a disagio con questo caldo umido. |
✏️ Memorise
Use the technique previously shown to memorise 5 of the above words.
✏️ Activity
Riempi gli spazi con la forma corretta delle parole della lista (Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the words from the list)
spensierato, nostalgico, rilassata, euforica, malinconico, stressata, commossa, a disagio
Era la mattina del primo luglio. Giulia era __________ come non mai, aveva già fatto e disfatto la valigia tre volte, controllato il passaporto due volte e dimenticato il caricabatterie una volta. Ma appena salita sull’aereo, si sentì subito __________: era fatta, si partiva! All’arrivo in Sicilia, il calore umido la fece sentire un po’ __________ all’inizio, ma dopo una doccia fresca tutto cambiò. In spiaggia era finalmente __________, poteva finalmente respirare, e ha iniziato a sentirsi __________ come quando era bambina. La sera, guardando il tramonto sul mare, si sentì __________ — quegli arancioni e rosa le ricordavano le estati con i nonni. E quando sentì in lontananza una vecchia canzone estiva, divenne un po’ __________: l’estate sarebbe finita troppo presto.
Answer key: stressata / euforica / a disagio / rilassata / spensierata / commossa / malinconica
✏️ Activity
Read the following mini-scenarios and write one or two sentences describing how you would feel, using words from the list above.
- È l’ultimo giorno di vacanza. Domani torni al lavoro.
- Ci sono 28 gradi e un venticello leggero e piacevole. Il panorama è stupendo e stai mangiando un gelato fantastico.
- Sei in spiaggia con i tuoi amici migliori. Il sole tramonta sul mare.
💡 Tip
Remember the rule of the adjectives, and when they need to agree in gender and number with the subject: sono rilassato (male speaker) vs sono rilassata (female speaker).
If you don’t remember, have a look at this lesson. It is related to adjectives of nationality; however, the rule is the same for all adjectives, therefore, it will be a good revision lesson for you.
Advanced — Le sfumature dell’estate (The nuances of summer)
Italian has a rich set of words to describe the sensory and atmospheric qualities of summer — words that go far beyond “hot” and “sunny.” This lesson focuses on precise, evocative vocabulary that will elevate your writing and speaking to a truly native level.
Word list
| Italian | English | Notes |
| l’afa (f.) | sultriness / oppressive heat | Implies humidity and stuffiness: Che afa oggi! |
| la calura | scorching heat | More literary than caldo; often used in writing |
| l’arsura (f.) | parching dryness / scorching thirst | Evokes drought-like, burning heat or extreme thirst |
| la canicola | the dog days of summer | The hottest period, traditionally July–August |
| torrido | torrid / blazing | Usually used as adjective: un’estate torrida |
| la frescura | cool freshness | The pleasant coolness of shade, evening, or water |
| il bagnasciuga | the water’s edge / shoreline | Literally “wet-dry” — the line between sea and sand |
| la bonaccia | dead calm (at sea) | A flat, windless sea; also used figuratively for stagnation |
| il solleone | the blazing midday sun | Term for the intense midday summer sun |
| abbacinante | blinding / dazzling | Often: una luce abbacinante — a blinding light |
| languido/a | languid / listless | The drowsy, slow feeling of a hot afternoon: un pomeriggio languido |
| afoso/a | sultry / muggy | Describes heavy, humid heat: una giornata afosa |
✏️ Activity
Riempi gli spazi con le parole della lista (Fill in the gaps with the words from the list)
Parole: bonaccia, solleone, afa, languido, afosa, frescura, bagnasciuga, canicola
Era il cuore dell’estate, la __________ del mezzogiorno era insopportabile. Paolo era sdraiato sul __________, a metà tra la sabbia asciutta e l’acqua del mare, cercando di sfuggire all’ __________. Il pomeriggio era __________ e immobile: nessun bambino correva, nessun gabbiano volava. In mare regnava la __________ — l’acqua sembrava uno specchio piatto e silenzioso. Nessuno aveva il coraggio di muoversi sotto il __________, che picchiava forte sulle teste come un martello rovente. Solo all’imbrunire arrivò finalmente la __________ che tutti aspettavano, un alito di vento fresco che sembrava quasi un miracolo dopo una giornata così __________.
Answer key: canicola / bagnasciuga / afa / languido / bonaccia / il solleone / la frescura / afosa
Write a short descriptive paragraph (8–10 sentences) about a summer scene — a beach, a piazza at midday, a countryside road — using at least six words from the list. Try to appeal to all five senses.
As a starting point, you might use: Era agosto, nel pieno della canicola…
Discussion prompt
Many of these words carry a slightly melancholy or overwhelming undertone — arsura, bonaccia, languido. Do you think Italians have an ambivalent relationship with summer heat? How does this compare to the way your own language talks about hot weather? Share your thoughts with us!
Enjoyed this lesson? Share it with a fellow Italian learner! Buono studio a tutti! 🇮🇹
