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Adjectives are words used to describe or modify a noun. In Italian adjectives
agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to. So if a noun is masculine, the adjective must be
masculine as well.
The
gender of an adjective, like that of a noun, is determined by its
ending.
An adjective ending with -O is masculine
(buono
= good),
while an adjective ending with -A is feminine
(buona
= good).
But there are also a number of adjectives that end with
-E (intelligente
= intelligent). These have the same form for
masculine and feminine.
- un ragazzo alto (a tall boy)
- una ragazza alta (a tall girl)
- un tavolo grande (a big table)
- una stanza grande (a big room)
Adjectives
agree also in number.
This means that a plural noun require a plural adjective.
To make the
plural of an adjective you need to change the ending.
Masculine
adjectives ending with -O in the plural form change this vowel with -I. Feminine adjectives, instead, change the final vowel -A with -E.
Adjectives
ending with -E form the plural with –I either if
they are masculine or feminine.
- un cantante famoso (a famous singer)
- dei cantanti famosi (famous singers)
- una ragazza carina (a pretty girl)
- delle ragazze carine (pretty girls)
- un signore elegante (an elegant man)
- dei signori eleganti (elegant men)
- una signora elegante (an elegant woman)
- delle signore eleganti (elegant women)