Italian Phrase
Festeggiamo il Capodanno a gennaio.
Meaning
This sentence describes the timing of New Year's Day celebrations using the first-person plural form of the verb 'festeggiare'. It emphasizes a collective action or a general cultural fact about the calendar.
When to use
This phrase is used when discussing holiday traditions, annual schedules, or when teaching someone about the Italian calendar and seasonal festivities.
✦Grammar Breakdown
FesteggiamoilCapodannoagennaio
Verb Conjugation
'Festeggiamo' is the 'noi' (we) form of the regular -are verb 'festeggiare'. In Italian, the subject pronoun is often omitted.
Compound Nouns
'Capodanno' comes from 'capo' (head/start) and 'anno' (year), literally meaning the start of the year.
Prepositions with Time
The preposition 'a' is used before months to indicate when something happens. It does not require an article before the month name.
🗨In Conversation
Quando si celebra l'inizio dell'anno in Italia?
When is the beginning of the year celebrated in Italy?
Festeggiamo il Capodanno a gennaio.
We celebrate New Year's Day in January.
✕Common Mistakes
Festeggiamo il Capodanno di gennaio.
Use the preposition 'a' or 'in' to indicate the month an event occurs; 'di' is typically used for possession or specific types of days.
Noi festeggiare il Capodanno a gennaio.
The verb must be conjugated to 'festeggiamo' to match the subject 'we'.
↔Alternatives
Il primo gennaio si festeggia il Capodanno.
On January 1st, New Year's is celebrated.
Celebriamo l'anno nuovo a gennaio.
We celebrate the new year in January.
Cultural Tip
In Italy, Capodanno is a major public holiday. While the 'Cenone' (big dinner) happens on New Year's Eve, January 1st is a day for 'il pranzo di Capodanno' with family, often featuring lentils which symbolize wealth and prosperity for the coming year.