Up, down, left, right — however you look at it, the Italian language is full of dimension. So it only makes sense that you should practice learning it in a way that’s not so… straightforward. Enter the Italian crossword puzzle!
Babbel’s Review Manager is a fantastic way to refresh your memory on what you’re learning in your Italian studies, but if you’re looking for an extra-creative way to put your skills to the test, try your hand at crushing this Italian cruciverba (also known as a parole crociate). In it you’ll find facts about — and vocabulary and expressions unique to — the Italian language. So what’s puzzling you? Get started on this Italian crossword!
If you’re stuck, skip to the end to see the clues linked to other articles and videos that can provide hints to the answers. In bocca al lupo!
Italian Crossword Clues (And Some Hints)
Across
1 — an Italian slang expression that means “Who cares?”, used in very colloquial contexts
4 — besides “per favore,” another way to say “please” in Italian
6 — the Italian name for a meal’s side dish, usually salad or vegetables
7 — an Italian expression meaning “If only (that were true)!”
9 — how to say “seventy” in Italian
11 — how to say “the earthquake” in Italian
15 — “la ____,” the season that follows winter, in Italian
16 — an Italian word that means “growing,” often used in the context of music
17 — an Italian-American-invented word that’s just an Italianization of the phrase “hurry up”
18 — the equivalent of “appetizer” in Italian
19 — the name for a pre-meal Italian drink meant to stimulate the appetite
Down
1 — an espresso-based coffee drink with steamed milk that Italians only drink in the morning
2 — a hard-to-pronounce Italian word that means “to melt”
3 — an Italian greeting meaning “good evening,” appropriate in formal contexts
5 — the language family to which Italian belongs
8 — how to say “the rainbow” in Italian
9 — an Italian dessert similar to gelato that’s a mix of semi-whipped cream and meringue
10 — an Italian expression meaning “no doubt about it,” or literally, “it doesn’t rain on it”
12 — a hard-to-pronounce Italian word that means “ice”
13 — the tiny country (not Vatican City) found on the Italian peninsula where Italian is an official language
14 — the state in the U.S. with the second-highest number of Italian speakers