A bit of English every day
Welcome to my English learning support space! Here you’ll find some written explanations, as well as videos to help you become familiar with the sound of English from all around the world. Some of them are about learning the English language, but you can also find videos about traveling, cooking, music and many other topics. You’ll find shorts, reels, and longer videos so you can choose the format you like best. Just make sure you have your computer or phone settings on English in the language section! Learning to communicate in English with confidence can be a challenge, but there’s a secret to making it easier: put a little bit of English into your everyday life.
False friends: baby
Today’s false friend is baby. Babies are “bambini” but not all “bambini” are babies, only the very little ones that can’t walk yet. The slightly bigger ones that are starting to walk are called toddlers, because to “toddle” is to walk with short uncertain steps as little children do who are learning to walk. So if we want to talk about “bambini” in general we use the word children, or more colloquially kids. However, not all children are “bambini”, because if you talk about your “figli” they continue to be your children even after they’ve grown up and become adults. This applies only to the plural form though - a child is always a minor and if you want to talk about your offspring in the singular you refer to your son or your daughter. If you say “my sons” people will understand that you have only male children and no daughters. By the way, the original meaning of kids is “capretti”, probably because baby goats are playful and mischievous just as children are.
Foto di Filip Mroz su Unsplash