Italian grammar · Beginner (A1)
Nouns: masculine, feminine and plural
How to tell if an Italian noun is masculine or feminine, and how to make it plural.
Masculine or feminine?
Every Italian noun is masculine or feminine, even words for things. The ending usually tells you which: nouns ending in -o are usually masculine, and nouns ending in -a are usually feminine.
Nouns ending in -e can be either, so learn them with their article: (bread) is masculine, (night) is feminine. There are a few exceptions, such as (hand) and (problem).
| Ending | Usually | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -o | masculine | , |
| -a | feminine | , |
| -e | either | , , , |
| -zione | feminine | , |
Making nouns plural
Italian plurals change the last vowel instead of adding -s. Masculine nouns end in -i in the plural. Feminine nouns ending in -a change to -e, and those ending in -e change to -i.
Some nouns never change: nouns with an accent on the last vowel, words from other languages, and shortened words. Only the article shows that they are plural: , .
| Singular | Plural | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| -o becomes -i | ||
| -a becomes -e (feminine) | ||
| -a becomes -i (masculine) | ||
| , | , | -e becomes -i |
| , | , | no change: accented last vowel |
| , | , | no change: foreign words |
| , | , | no change: short forms of longer words |
Spelling and a few irregular plurals
Feminine nouns in -ca and -ga add an h to keep the hard sound: , . Masculine nouns in -co and -go vary, so learn them one by one: , but , .
A few very common nouns are irregular in the plural. Learn them as you meet them.
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| man, men | ||
| hand, hands | ||
| egg, eggs (feminine in the plural) | ||
| arm, arms (feminine in the plural) |
- Ho due amiche a Firenze.I have two (female) friends in Florence.
- Vorrei due caffè.I'd like two coffees.
- Compro sei uova.I'm buying six eggs.