Image: Jebulon via WikiCommons
About This Quiz
“Learn a language!” they said.
“It’ll be fun!” they said.
And so you started taking Italian. After mastering your verb tenses and gendered nouns, you decided to try out a new language: why not Spanish? You opened your first textbook and … wait a minute. Isn’t this Italian? Why do the two languages look so similar?
Well, it’s because they’re both rooted in Latin, which was the operating language of the Roman Empire. After the Empire collapsed in the 5th century, multiple dialects naturally developed in previously occupied countries, including Italy and Spain. By some estimates, the existence of Italian is traced back to the 14th century, when Dante Alighieri, the poet known for the Divine Comedy, noted that Italy likely contained over a thousand dialects. Meanwhile, Spanish stems from the Castilian dialect, which emerged in the 9th century. When the kingdoms of Castile and León combined with that of Aragon in the 15th century, Spain declared Castilian as its official language, and Spanish eventually developed from there.
With this history lesson out of the way, here’s a warm-up question: Is “storia,” meaning "history," an Italian or Spanish word? If you guessed the former, you’re right! Ready for the full quiz? It’s brimming with verbs, adverbs, adjectives, nouns and phrases that are either Italian or Spanish. Put your thinking cap on and let’s dive in!
Italian
Spanish
The Italian word is similar, "cucina," and it's no doubt that Italians love to cook, or "cucinare." Food, or "comida" in Spanish, is also a big part of Spanish-speaking cultures, from curanto in Chile to ceviche in Peru.
Both
Neither
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Desayuno
Colazione
It’s common to refer to breakfast as "la prima colazione" in Italian, meaning "the first meal." Both Italian and Spanish use "cena" for "dinner," but only Spanish uses "desayuno" for "breakfast" and "almuerzo" for "lunch."
Cena
Almuerzo
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Italian
Both Italian and Spanish contain gendered nouns, and "corridore" is a male runner. The female version is "corritrice." The Spanish term looks a lot like its Italian cousin: "corredor(a)."
Spanish
Both
Neither
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Romance
Romancia
Amor
Romanza
While you might suspect that "romancia" is the Spanish variation, in fact, it's the first option. Who would’ve known? "Amor" is the Spanish word for "love," and "amore" is the Italian counterpart.
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Vecino
Siempre
Riso
Why your neighbor would always be cooking rice in their backyard is a mystery. Regardless, "arroz" should be here, though it’s no wonder where risotto — the delicious Italian staple — got its name.
Jardín
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"Mujer" and "hombre"
"Giorno" and "notte"
"Pulito" and "sucio"
Each answer contains opposites, with the first being the Spanish words for "man and woman," and the second being "day" and "night" in Italian. The answer is "clean" in Italian and "dirty" in Spanish, and the last is Italian for "hot" and "cold."
"Caldo" and "freddo"
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Sole
It often only takes one letter to distinguish Italian and Spanish words, in this case the "e." If it had been raining, the forecast would’ve called for "pioggia" — but if you were in a Spanish-speaking country, it would be "lluvia."
Sol
Pioggia
Lluvia
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Luna
Nube
Casa
Portafoglio
The words for "moon," "cloud" and "house" are the same in both Spanish and Italian. But the Spanish equivalent of "portafoglio" — a wallet — is "billetera," easily remembered by noting that bills are kept in wallets.
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Voglio
Mangiare
Postre
The sentence translates to, "I want to eat a dessert right now," and honestly, nobody’s blaming you. The correct word is "un dolce" or "un dessert," and the sentence’s Spanish variation is “Quiero comer un postre ahora mismo.”
Questo
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Ho fame
Both Spanish and Italian refer to "having hunger" – in the first option, "ho" is the Italian word for "have," and "fame" is "hunger." "Tengo" is the first person singular of the verb "tener," also meaning "to have."
Tengo hambre
Both
Neither
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Italian
If you’ve been an "estudiante" of Spanish, you’d know that the Spanish answer is "estudiar." And if you haven't, "acabas de aprender" — you just learned — something new. You may have noticed that "studiare" and "estudiar" are essentially the same but with the "e" reversed.
Spanish
Both
Neither
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Serpientes
Y
Scale
The proper translation is "Serpientes Y Escaleras," and the Italian variation is "Serpenti E Scale." Regardless of the language, it's a fun game — or "juego divertido" in Spanish and "gioco divertente" in Italian.
Trick question: each option is correct.
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"Spiaggia" and "playa"
"Barca" and "bote"
"Tavolo" and "mesa"
"Tenedor" and "cuchillo"
The Italian and Spanish words for "beach," "boat" and "table" look quite different from each other. Speaking of tables, you’ll likely find a "tenedor" and "cuchillo" — "fork" and "knife" — on one.
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Italian
Spanish
Believe it or not, the Italian word for "banana" is ... drum roll ... "la banana." So if you’re ever asked to speak a foreign language, just say "banana," though the person you’re talking to might think you’re "matto," or nuts.
Both
Neither
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Sono
Andato
Verano
The question's phrase, "I went to Florence last summer," is a dream but the mistake is a nightmare. "Verano" is the Spanish word for "summer," which should’ve been "estate." Fun fact: Just as location names often change depending on the language, "Florence" in Spanish is "Florencia."
Scorsa
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Verde
Blanco
This question is a bit tricky, because "verde" is also the Spanish word for "green." The second option should be "bianco" (or "bianca" if modifying a female noun), while the Spanish equivalent of "rosso" is "rojo" (or "roja").
Rosso
None of the above
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Pintura
There’s no doubt an abundance of gorgeous "pinturas" in the Prado Museum in Madrid, and likewise for the "dipinti" in Rome’s Galleria Borghese. "Pintar" and "dipingere" are the verbs for "to paint" in Spanish and Italian, respectively.
Dipinti
Pintar
Dipingere
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Spanish, your name
Spanish, your number
Italian, your name
Unbeknownst to many people, Italian is one of Switzerland’s official languages. Had the person been speaking Spanish, they would’ve asked for your "nombre," which looks a lot like "number," but that’s "número" The Italian variation of "number" is almost identical: "numero."
Italian, your number
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Italian
Spanish
The Italian word is "volcano" and, guess what, the translation of "lava" is "lava." Care to guess the Spanish word? You'll be amused to know it's also "lava." What about eruption? "Erupción" and "eruzione" in Spanish and Italian, respectively.
Both
Neither
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Burro
Pronto
Mano
Ask a Spanish speaker for a "burro" and they’ll wonder why you’re requesting a donkey. An Italian, on the other hand, will pass you butter. If you say you need it "pronto" in Spanish, they’ll think you need it soon, whereas an Italian will think you’re saying "I’m ready." This is odd for English speakers, but "topo" doesn’t mean "top" in either language – it's "mouse" in Italian and "mole" in Spanish.
Topo
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"Domande" and "risposte"
"Preguntas" is the Spanish word for "questions," and "respuestas" means "answers." The Italian verb for "to ask" is "domandare," though there are several variations for specific ways of questioning, such as "interrogare" for "to interrogate."
"Preguntas" and "respuestas"
"Domande" and "respuestas"
"Preguntas" and "risposte"
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Occhiali
This sentence says, "The glasses didn't look good on me," or "The glasses didn't suit me," and its Italian equivalent is, "Gli occhiali non mi andavano bene," with "occhiali" replacing "gafas."
Me
Quedaban
Bien
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Vino
This is a bit of a twist, because "vino" is also the Spanish word for "wine." The other three options are Spanish, meaning "water," "beer" and "milk" — or "acqua," "birra" and "latte" in Italian.
Agua
Cerveza
Leche
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Gente
Persone
Población
Popolazione
A population is comprised of people, or "gente" and "persone" in Spanish and Italian. Rome is estimated to have about 2.8 million people, making it Italy's biggest city, though this doesn't include urban areas. Milan is the second-largest, with 1.7 million inhabitants, but counting urban zones renders it much bigger.
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"Contento" and "gioioso"
"Triste" and "infelice"
"Preoccupato" and "ansioso"
"Eccitato" and "emocionado"
If you didn't answer the first, you're probably "contento" or "gioioso" — happy or joyful. If you answered the second, you might be "triste" or "infelice" — sad or unhappy. And if you're worried or anxious about your Italian skills, you might have accidentally picked the third. "Emocionado" is Spanish for "excited," which is surely what you're feeling if you got this right.
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Corretto e incorrecto
Correcto e scorretto
Corretto e scorretto
Another way of saying "wrong" in Italian is "sbagliato," or "sbagliata" if referring to a female noun. If talking about the verb "to correct," use "correggere" in Italian and "corregir" in Spanish.
Correcto e incorrecto
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Mar
Arena
Costiera
"Mar" means "sea" in Spanish, and the Amalfi Coast lies on the Tyrrhenian Sea. You'll surely encounter "arena," Spanish for "sand," on the coastline. And you'll need a "toalla" or "towel" if you plan on hitting the beach. Sometimes, "costiera" is used interchangeably with "costa," meaning "coast."
Toalla
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Camicia e pantaloni
"Camisa" and "pantalones" are the Spanish counterparts, but there are variations depending on the type of shirt and pants. For example, a "T-shirt" is "una camiseta," and "shorts" are "pantalones cortos" or simply "shorts."
Camisa e pantaloni
Camicia e pantalones
Camisa e pantalones
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Electricidad
Elettricità
"Voltaje" and "voltaggio" mean "voltage" in Spanish and Italian, respectively, but should not be confused with the words for "volt" — "voltio" and "volt." In case you're baffled about the difference, even in English, volts are a unit of measure for voltage, which is an electromotive force.
Voltaje
Voltaggio
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Nuestro
Volo
This sentence translates to, "Our flight was late and we waited two hours," but the "volo" should be "vuelo." The Italian version is, "Il nostro volo era in ritardo e abbiamo aspettato due ore."
Fue
Esperamos
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Orgulloso
Enfadado
Lento
Lentamente
You might be "orgulloso" — or proud — if you got the answer right, but you might be "enfadado" — or angry — if it's wrong. If you were slow to answer, you could say you were "lento."
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Nord
Sud
Este
The Italian version of "east" is "est," whereas the Spanish answers would be "norte," "sur" and "oeste." If you decide to buy a map, ask the clerk for a "mappa." If you were in a Spanish-speaking country, you'd request a "mapa."
Ovest
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Camarero
Mucama
Autista
You'll surely encounter a "camarero," Spanish for "waiter," on a trip. If staying at a hotel, you'll also likely talk to a "mucama," or "maid." The Spanish equivalent of "autista" — a driver — is a "conductor," who may even be your guide, or "guía."
Guía
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Izquierda y derecha
Left-handed Italians must love knowing their handedness sounds a lot like the word "sinister": "sinistro." Don't confuse "derecha" with "derecho," which refers to a "right," such as human rights.
Izquierda y destra
Sinistra y derecha
Sinistra y destra
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Enero
Mayo
Junio
Luglio
The Italian translation of "January," the first answer, is "gennaio." "Maggio" and "giugno" are "May" and "June," options two and three, and the Spanish version of "July" is "julio."
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