The Italian adjective “Bello”

Italian adjectives usually are placed after nouns. There are, however, some adjectives that can be placed also before nouns. One of these is the adjective “bello” (beautiful) that is regular when it follows the noun but changes its form when it precedes the noun. In this case, in fact, it behaves like the definite articles (articoli determinativi).

Here is how the adjective “bello” changes its form when it is placed before a noun.

Examples:

• un ragazzo bello - un bel ragazzo (a beautiful boy)

• dei ragazzi belli - dei bei ragazzi (beautiful boys)

• uno zaino bello - un bello zaino (a beautiful backpack)

• degli zaini belli - dei begli zaini (beautiful backpacks)

• un appartamento bello - un bell'appartamento (a beautiful apartment)

• degli appartamenti belli - dei begli appartamenti (beautiful apartments)

This rule apply for the masculine adjective “bello”. If the adjective is feminine, it changes only before a noun that begins with a vowel:

• una bella ragazza - delle belle ragazze (a beautiful girl - beautiful girls)

• una bella spiaggia - delle belle spiagge (a beautiful beach -beautiful beaches)

• una bell'amica - delle belle amiche (a beautiful friend - beautiful friends)