Non Parlo Italiano

In the Italian language, the “ch” sound is the same as the “c” or “k” sound in English and the “c” sound is the same as the “ch” sound in English, so it can get pretty confusing. My class in particular has a difficult time with it, so much so that we often leave our professor pulling his hair in frustration. Each time one of us makes the mistake, the rest of us will laugh and then immediately make the same mistake ourselves. It’s really difficult to break old habits of how to spell certain sounds. We’ve even developed our own inside joke when this happens, “Chichirichi,” which is the Italian word for “rooster.” It’s definitely one of my favorite words I’ve learned here. But my favorite phrase to use in conversation is definitely, “Forse che si, forse che no.” It literally means “Maybe yes, maybe not” and is actually inscribed on some of the walls decorating some of the ancient buildings around here as the motto to one of the local ruling families. It’s so useful, and I always get a kick out of using it, not just because of the simplicity but because of the historical significance as well.