Seasons in Italian – basic notions 

If you want to learn Seasons in Italian, you should start from the beginning.

Firstly, the Italian word for “season” is stagione,  plural  stagioni.    Many language experts believe that “season” and “stagione” have the same etymological origin in the Latin verb serere, “to sow”Especially in ancient times, farming and agricultural activities were central in the calendar, or – to say it in Italian – in the  calendario.

Seasons in Italian correspond to American and English ones, and that’s quite obvious!

Autunno

Autumn/ Fall

Inverno

Winter

Primavera

Spring

Estate

Summer

Italian Season Adjectives

There are also four adjectives related to Seasons in Italian:

Autunnale

something related to Fall – autumnal

Invernale

something related to Winter – wintry

Primaverile

something related to Spring – springy

Estivo

something related to Summer – summery

Keep in mind that in Italian articles, pronouns, adjectives, and determiners in general, all change with the gender.  Autunno  and inverno  are masculine.  Primavera  and  estate  are feminine. The term stagione  itself is feminine.

If you are in need, you can find here more information about Italian indefinite articles, Italian definite articles and Italian demonstrative adjectives.

Months in Italian – I Mesi 

Gennaio

January

Febbraio

February

Marzo

March

Aprile

April

Maggio

May

Giugno

June

Luglio

July

Agosto

August

Settembre

September

Ottobre

October

Novembre

November

Dicembre

December

How to chat about seasons in Italian

Now you are ready for some time expressions related to Seasons in Italian:

In che stagione siamo?

Which season are we in? / In which season are we?

Siamo in estate

We are in summer

Quando inizia l’estate?

When does summer start?

L’estate inizia il 20/21 Giugno

Summer starts on the 20/21 of June

Quando finisce l’autunno?

When does fall end?

L’autunno finisce il 21 dicembre

Fall ends on the 21 of December

Siamo in autunno

It’s autumn

L’inverno sta arrivando (Italian gerund)

Winter is coming

La primavera è arrivata

Spring is here / Spring has arrived

Quale è la tua stagione preferita?

What’s your favorite season?

La mia stagione preferita è l’inverno

Winter is my favorite season

Amo la primavera

I love spring

Non mi piace l’autunno

I don’t like autumn

Odio l’estate

I hate summer

Sto aspettando l’estate

I’m waiting for the summer

Quest’anno l’estate è in ritardo

Summer is late this year / It’s a late summer

Quest’anno l’inverno è in anticipo

Winter is early this year / It’s an early winter

La primavera è lontana

Spring is far away

L’autunno è vicino

Autumns is near / Autumn is getting closer

As you can see,      Seasons in Italian are strictly related to weather.  Thus, we recommend reading this article about the Italian climate and Italian climate vocabulary/expressions before going forward!

What do you need to know about Seasons in Italy

Every Seasons in Italian Country has its own temper. For this reason, you can enjoy this diversity to the fullest visiting Italy in distinct times of the year: in fact, one of the best and most appreciated things about Italy is the weather.

Nonetheless, there is still a cliché about Italian seasons and weather: when tourists and visitors think about the Italian climate, they usually imagine neverending sunbathing, melted ice cream, barefoot people in the fountains, etc. But it’s not simply like this! In fact, we have cold winters, mainly in the mountains, cool autumns, sweet rainy springs, and hot fantastic summers.

When it comes to speaking about Season in Italian, be prepared to use terms and expressions that concern weather, holidays, temperatures, and clothes.

And remember: Italian people love chatting and joking about the weather!

Here for you a funny filastrocca (nursery rhyme) about Seasons in Italian, try to understand the meaning!

Seasons in Italy – Everything to know

So the same Seasons in Italian   Country can have different characteristics from place to place! However, on average Italy has a very good climate in comparison to other countries: the well-known nickname “paese del sole” (country of the sun) it’s not chosen by chance. 

Winter in Italy – Inverno 

The Italian winter is cold almost everywhere in the peninsula. In the mountains, you can easily find ice and snow, especially in the Alps and Apennines. The temperature is low in the northern regions and the interior; it decreases when the sky is cloudy or when the air is very clear due to icy winds. Of course, except for some places high on the cliffs, you don’t have to expect the frigid winters of Alaska or Canada. 

The climate near the coast and the seaside is slightly more temperate, but you still need warm clothes and probably a hat, a scarf, and sometimes a pair of gloves. 

Visiting Italy in winter discloses to you exceptional opportunities. For example, Italy has some of the best mountains in the world, and you can practice many winter sports like skiing, ice skating, snowboarding, mountaineering… or staying in a cozy lodge drinking hot chocolate!

Winter festivities in Italy

Christmas and New Year’s Eve

Furthermore, in December, almost every city sets up scenic lights across the roads. Christmas in Italy also brings picturesque street markets and public staging of nativity scenes. Italian nativity scenes are really famous all over the world; you can find them in a lot of places, especially in the southern regions. 

Like everyone else, Italian people love celebrating New Year’s Eve. You can choose between a private event with family and close friends or a great party outside, in public squares or clubs.

Epiphany

The last day of the holidays in Italy is Epiphany, on January 6. Epiphany’s particularly popular among children because of the “socks ritual”. Kids hang one or more colorful socks to the wall or let them in plain view; then they go to sleep. According to the tradition, during the night an old lady called Befana flies in the house riding her broom, and fills the children’s socks rummaging in her sack. The good kids receive candy, chocolate, snacks, coins and small toys; but the reward for the bad kids is black bitter coal! Although the Three Kings’ day official Italian name is Epifania, it’s widely known as Befana from the beloved old lady institution.

Winter words in Italian

Here some useful words to talk about Italian winter: 

la montagna

the mountain

la collina

the hill

la neve

nevoso

nevicare

the snow

snowy

to snow

il ghiaccio

ghiacciato

ghiacciare

the ice

icy

to freeze

la nebbia

nebbioso

the fog

foggy

il freddo

the cold

le nuvole

nuvoloso

the clouds

cloudy

il Natale

the Christmas

il regalo

the present

il Presepe

the nativity scene

l’albero di Natale

the Christmas tree

l’abete

the fir

Babbo Natale

Santa Claus

le decorazioni / gli addobbi

the decorations

le luminarie

the Christmas lights across the streets

la canzone

the song

la Befana (colloquial for Epifania)

the Epiphany / the Three Kings’ Day

i dolci

the sweets

Capodanno

New Year’s Eve

il brindisi

the toast

Buon anno!

Happy New Year!

i fuochi artificiali

the fireworks

la cioccolata calda

the hot chocolate

lo sci

sciare

the skiing

to ski

il pattinaggio sul ghiaccio

pattinare sul ghiaccio

the ice skating

to ice skate

l’alpinismo

the mountaineering

la slitta

the sled

la seggiovia

the chair lift

la sciarpa

the scarf

il cappello

the hat

il cappotto

the coat

i guanti

the gloves

il mercatino

the street market

Spring in Italy –  Primavera

Spring is one of the  great Seasons in Italian. During Springs you can go to visit gardens, go hiking, and enjoy nature in the countryside. In March, the weather could be still chilly, with rainy skies or sporadic snow on the peaks; to the contrary, in April and May, some people in the South already go to the seaside! That is to say, spring is quite a crazy season. We infact say ‘’marzo mese pazzo’’ which means ‘’March crazy month’’.

To say it in the Italian way, one useful springtime advice is “dressing like an onion”: wear several layers of light clothes and bring with you a raincoat, or an umbrella. 

Where to go in Italy in the Spring

Val D’Orcia in Tuscany, Amalfi Coast in Campania, the heart of Umbria, the Lake District around Como, the Dolomites: they are all stunning places to have magnificent strolls in the pleasant climate of Italian spring. You’ll find colorful flowers, plenty of vegetation, breathtaking sceneries. 

And if you love motorcycle’s holidays or mountain biking, late spring is probably the best season to experience the roads, admire vivid landscapes, and go for an adventure. 

Spring festivities in Italy

Pasqua

The most important Spring holiday is Pasqua, Easter. The old-style Easter dessert is the “chocolate egg”: during festivity times you can give those delicious eggs to friends and relatives. As expected, they are particularly loved by kids, mainly for the surprise inside: in fact, every chocolate egg contains a gift! For Italian people, Easter is truly meaningful, not only for spiritual reasons. Usually, during Easter Italian families meet for a long lunch spending quality time together in front of a great banquet.

Pasquetta

But the celebrations don’t end in this way: the day after Easter brings another important party occasion. We’re talking about Pasquetta, literally “Little Easter”; this is an original Italian festivity and for the majority of citizens a day off from work. If Easter is often a family event, Pasquetta is devoted to friends: everyone organizes a barbecue, a picnic or a merenda; merenda is a very informal middle afternoon meal, with typical Italian products like ham, salami, cold cuts, cheese, sausages, focaccia bread, marinated vegetables etc. Remember: the best Pasquetta is open air!

Spring Vocabulary

Now, some useful spring vocabulary: 

il giardino

the garden

la campagna

the countryside

il cielo

the sky

la pioggia

the rain

la passeggiata

passeggiare

the stroll

to stroll

l’escursione

fare un’escursione

the hike

go hiking

il sentiero

the trail

il fiore

fiorire

the flower

to bloom

l’ape

the bee

il miele

the honey

l’uccellino

the bird

verde (adj.)

green

il bocciolo / la gemma

the bud

il profumo

the scent

la vegetazione

the vegetation

l’impermeabile

the raincoat

l’ombrello

the umbrella

la bicicletta

the bike

la motocicletta

the motorcycle

il panorama

the landscape

all’aperto (adv.)

open air / outdoors

bucolico (adj.)

bucolic

la Pasqua

the Easter

la famiglia

the family

l’uovo di cioccolato

the chocolate egg

il banchetto

the banquet

la Pasquetta

“Little Easter”, the Monday after Easter

gli amici / l’amico / l’amica (fmn)

the friends / the friend

la scampagnata

a trip to the countryside

la grigliata

the barbecue

la merenda

the afternoon snack

il prosciutto

the ham

il salame

the salami

gli affettati

the cold cuts

il formaggio

the cheese

le verdure sott’olio

the marinated vegetables

Summer in Italy – Estate

Italian summers are the best! Everybody dreams about Italian summers and everyone has in mind clear images of sunny vacations in the Bel Paese, like delicious ice creams sitting on the iconic Vespa, a giant pizza in a folkloristic restaurant, or a plate of spaghetti  with some glimpse of Rome in the background. Surely, nothing to complain about those postcards, but Italian summer has a lot more to offer!

Above all, Italy has 7914 km of coasts and nearly all of them are open to bathing: you can find golden rough beaches, white refined sands, high rugged cliffs, shores of polished rocks. In addition to that, you can taste the sea in every possible manner: relaxing in a resort, dancing on the sand in an open-air club, exploring a wild bay after a rough hiking route, renting a boat to enjoy deep water diving, spending the day playing volleyball and drinking beer in a packed place.

Where to go for your Summer Holidays – Sea or Mountain?

Puglia and Sardegna are two of the best destinations in the world if you are a true sea lover, believe us! 

A great indicator of the aquatic cleanliness is the Bandiera Blu (Blue Flag): a beach that gains a Blue Flag stand out for lack of pollution and infrastructures’ sustainability. Not surprisingly, Italy has more than 400 Blue Flag beaches!

For mountain enthusiasts, summer is equally special: Alps and Apennines are perfect locations for hikers and fresh air lovers. Nothing more fulfilling than a rich typical meal and a glass of wine after a draining trail among incredible sceneries!

In conclusion, it could sound like an oddity, but Italian people preferably don’t visit their most famous cities (Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice) during summer; if they can choose, they select another period of the year. As a result, those places seem totally conquered by tourists in July and August. 

Summer words in Italian

Let’s see some useful summer words: 

la spiaggia

the beach

il mare

the sea

la sabbia

the sand

la duna

the dune

la costa

the coast

lo scoglio

the rock / the cliff

l’onda

the wave

il tramonto

the sunset

il pesce

the fish

la medusa

the jellyfish

la conchiglia

the shell

lo stabilimento balneare

the beach resort

la barca

the boat

il traghetto

the ferry

il costume da bagno

the swimsuit

l’asciugamano

the towel

la maschera

the diving mask

le ciabatte

the slippers

l’abbronzatura

the tan

la discoteca

the club

gli occhiali da sole

the sunglasses

i cruciverba

the crosswords

i sandali

the sandals

la birra

the beer

il vino

the wine

il tuffo

tuffarsi (reflexive form)

the diving

to dive

noleggiare

to rent

nuotare

to swim

fare immersioni

to practice scuba diving

il beach volley

the beach volley

il calcio

the football

il bagnino

the lifeguard

il salvagente

the life vest

la corrente

the stream

il pedalò

the paddle boat

Fall in Italy – Autunno

Italian fall is gentle at the beginning and cold as winter in the end. Moreover, rainy and cloudy days are quite frequent, especially in the north, but not enough to ruin a beautiful holiday. In other words, Autumn is perfect to visit Italian cities, museums, and historical sites: the places aren’t stuffed of tourists like during summer and the weather is not so hot. Fall colors create a perfect match with ancient architectures and ruins, giving them a nostalgic and fascinating allure.

What to do in Italy in the Fall

In autumn you can use sunny days to walk around the streets, take photos and explore; when the rain is approaching, you have plenty of possibilities everywhere: museums, exhibitions, restaurants, café.

You can devote a day to culture, try some street food for lunch, and have a characteristic aperitivo before dinner. 

Aperitivo  is an Italian tradition: you can sit to a table with your friends, enjoy the view, and drink a tasty cocktail with plenty of appetizers and delicious snacks.

Florence, Rome, Milan, Venice, Naples, Palermo are widely known to be the maximum, but they’re not the only option: Italian medium-size cities and villages are equally wonderful.

Fall festivities in Italy 

Ognissanti

The principal Autumn festivity is Ognissanti (1 of November): it’s effectively celebrated only in southern Italy, but in the rest of the Peninsula is only an appreciated day off at work. On the contrary, Halloween isn’t a traditional Italian festivity, although in recent years it has become popular among young people.

Food Festivals

In addition to that, the early fall calendar is full of little local events, often related to food and wine. On those occasions, the towns transform themselves in an open-air party, with long tables set across the streets, outside kitchens, home restaurants, musicians, juggling performances, etc. Those events usually revolve around typical gastronomic products: the mushroom festival, the chestnut festival, the boar meat festival, the tortello festival, etc.

Fall Vocabulary in Italian

And now, some fall vocabulary: 

la foglia

il fogliame

the leaf

the foliage

il fungo

the mushroom

la castagna

the chestnut

la carne

the meat

il cinghiale

the boar

il tortello

untranslatable: a particular type of stuffed pasta, slightly similar to dumplings

le tagliatelle

untranslatable: a particular type pasta

marrone (adj.)

brown

giallo (adj.)

yellow

rosso (adj.)

red

l’uva

the grapes

la vendemmia

the grape harvest

la ghianda

the acorn

il pranzo

the lunch

l’amaro (a digestive alcoholic drink)

the bitter

Ognissanti

All Saints’ Day

la cena

the dinner

l’aperitivo

the aperitif

l’evento

the event

la fiera

the fair

il museo

the museum

il quadro

the painting

la mostra

the exhibition

la piazza

the square

il bar

the café

il caffè

the coffee

il ristorante

the restaurant

il cibo da strada

the street food

la sagra

the village festival

il giocoliere

the juggler

il musicista

the musician

il tavolo

the table

gli stuzzichini

the snacks

la cultura

the culture

l’architettura

the architecture

By: Lucia Aiello

Lucia Aiello is one of the co-founders of LearnItalianGo. Born and raised in Italy, she is a passionate Italian teacher and language enthusiast.