In the Backpack

Backpacks, rulers, erasers, scissors, folders: by the end of this Italian school supplies quiz, you will know zaino, righello, gomma, forbici, and cartellina in Italian. Work through three rounds of activities to match words, complete sentences, and translate from Italian to English.

One word pulls extra weight: gomma means eraser in the classroom, but in everyday Italian it is also the word for rubber, a car tyre, and chewing gum. Context always makes the meaning clear, but it is worth knowing how much this small word covers.