madonna
Along with mamma mia, which never seems to lose its novelty for me, one of my favorite Italian expressions is madonna. It means basically wow or gee, in either a positive or negative form.
For example, “Madonna, what a beautiful dress” or “Madonna, I can’t believe the pizzeria is out of margherita.” It’s usually accompanied by one of several delightfully expressive hand gestures.
Myself, I tend to use it when I’m alone, exclaiming at some stupid thing I’ve just done (this occurs often). Such as: Madonna, why is it some days I can speak Italian fine on the phone, and other days I’m a total disaster? Trying to spell my email address (always a mistake) and pronouncing half the letters the Spanish way, then forgetting completely how you are supposed to say the “@” symbol.
I wonder, from other ex-pats, if it ever gets easier, this day-to-day oscillation in my ability to speak a foreign language? I have an English student who’s from South America, and she tells me that she still has days when she’s tired or stressed and she can barely speak Italian — and she’s been here for six years.
As we say in New York, oy.
Madonna and candle offerings, Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome
