Mosaico Italiano

Nouns (il nome / il sostantivo): A noun can represent a person, place, object, or idea. Examples of English nouns include “woman,” “Italy,” “book,” “house,” and “dog.” In Italian, all nouns have a gender—either masculine or feminine. The gender of a noun influences the forms of nearby words, such as articles and adjectives. Nouns also have singular and plural forms, which can affect the choice of article, adjective ending, and sometimes the verb form. 

Gender (il genere) 

All Italian nouns have a gender. 

• Masculine Nouns: Most nouns ending in -o (e.g., ragazzo, orologio, libro). 

• Feminine Nouns: Most nouns ending in -a (e.g., ragazza, casa, acqua). 

• Masculin Nouns ending in -e:  (e.g., fiore, sole, presidente)  

• Feminine Nouns ending in –e (e.g., moglie, stazione, carne). 

Here’s a table categorizing the nouns by their gender and typical endings: 

Explanation: 

• Masculine Nouns: Most nouns ending in -o and some ending in -e. 

• Feminine Nouns: Most nouns ending in -a and some ending in -e. 

It’s often difficult to guess the gender of these nouns, so it’s good practice to learn the gender along with the meaning. Use a gender notation (m. or f.) for these nouns and test yourself regularly.  

Nouns ending in -E 

Learn the Gender with the Meaning 

When learning a new noun that ends in -e, it’s important to learn its gender at the same time. To help with this, you can include a gender notation (m. for masculine or f. for feminine) and test yourself regularly. 

Use the Article 

The article that precedes a noun can indicate its gender. For instance, if the noun is preceded by the masculine article “un” or “uno,” the noun is masculine. If the noun is preceded by the feminine article “una” or “un’,” then the noun is feminine. 

Look it Up in a Dictionary 

To find out a noun’s gender, you can consult a dictionary, which will mark the noun as either masculine (m) or feminine (f). 

Memorize Words with Their Corresponding Article and Adjective 

Memorizing nouns along with their articles and adjectives can help reinforce their gender. For example, you can remember phrases like “la neve bianca” (white snow) or “la notte nera” (black night). 

Additional Tips: 

• Nouns ending in a consonant: These are imports from other languages and are masculine (e.g., film, bar, computer). 

• Nouns ending in -zione or -sione: Typically feminine (e.g., stazione, decisione, lezione). 

• Abbreviated nouns: These nouns carry the gender of their longer version (e.g., foto from fotografia is feminine, hence la foto). 

• Nouns ending in -ma (of Greek derivation): Despite the -a ending, these nouns are masculine (e.g., programma, tema, sistema, problema). 

Note: You will come across exceptions, known as non-standard nouns, as you learn more Italian. Practice with these nouns (forthcoming). 

Plurals (i plurali) 

Singular nouns can be made plural according to predictable rules. Here’s a chart to help you understand these transformations: 

Nouns ending in -o (generally masculine) become -i in the plural, and nouns ending in -a (generally feminine) become -e in the plural. Nouns ending in -e become -i in the plural regardless of gender. 

Common Exceptions: 

Abbreviated nouns, nouns ending in a consonant, nouns ending in -i, and nouns ending in an accented vowel do not change their forms. For example: 

Nouns ending in -ca and -ga insert an -h in the plural to preserve the sound of the singular form. Most nouns ending in -co with a stress on the second-to-last syllable and most nouns ending in -go also insert an -h. For example: 

Note: However, nouns like politico (politician), which carry the stress on the third-to-last syllable, do not insert an -h in the plural, resulting in politici. 

Irregular Plurals: 

• Some nouns have very irregular plurals. For example: 

These irregular nouns are commonly used, so add them to your vocabulary list or flashcards. 

Exercise 1: Identify the Gender 

Read the following nouns and identify their gender (masculine or feminine). Write “m” for masculine and “f” for feminine. 

1. Libro
2. Casa
3. Fiore
4. Automobile
5. Problema
6. Lezione
7. Film
8. Presidente
9. Tema
10. Foto 

Answer Key: 

1. m 
2. f
3. m
4. f
5. m
6. f
7. m
8. m
9. m
10. f 

Exercise 2: Plural Form Transformation 

Convert the following singular nouns to their plural forms. 

1. Ragazzo
2. Penna
3. Dottore
4. Automobile
5. Foto
6. Lago
7. Crisi
8. Targa
9. Parco
10. Città 

Answer Key: 

1. Ragazzi
2. Penne
3. Dottori
4. Automobili
5. Foto
6. Laghi
7. Crisi
8. Targhe
9. Parchi
10. Città 

Exercise 3: Match the Singular to the Plural 

Match the singular nouns on the left with their correct plural forms on the right. 

1. Ragazzo
2. Penna
3. Dottore
4. Automobile
5. Foto
6. Lago
7. Crisi
8. Targa
9. Parco
10. Città 

Options: a. Automobili 
b. Ragazzi 
c. Penne 
d. Parchi 
e. Città 
f. Laghi 
g. Crisi 
h. Targhe 
i. Foto 
j. Dottori 

Answer Key: 

1. Ragazzo - b
2. Penna - c
3. Dottore - j
4. Automobile - a
5. Foto - i
6. Lago - f
7. Crisi - g
8. Targa - h
9. Parco - d
10. Città - e 

Domande vero o falso. 

• Elena is an American student. (True/False) 

• Professor Caprili teaches at Emory University. (True/False) 

• The University of Bologna was founded in 1088. (True/False) 

• Marco is originally from Bologna. (True/False) 

• In Italy, informal language is always used when speaking to elderly people or strangers. (True/False) 

Domande a scelta multipla.

Where does Elena study Italian?  

• A) University of Bologna 
• B) Emory University 
• C) University of Florence 
• D) Georgia State University 
• E) I don’t know

What is the University of Bologna called?  

• A) Alma Mater Studiorum
• B) La Sapienza 
• C) Ca’ Foscari 
• D) Bocconi 
• E) I don’t know

How old is Marco?  

• A) 20 
• B) 22 
• C) 25 
• D) 30 
• E) I don’t know

How long has Marco been living in Bologna?  

• A) 5 years 
• B) 8 years 
• C) 10 years 
• D) 15 years 
• E) I don’t know

According to Marco, what should you say when entering a shop?  

• A) Ciao 
• B) Buongiorno or buonasera
• C) Salve 
• D) Nothing 
• E) I don’t know

Come si dice? 

• How do you say “Nice to meet you” in Italian? 
• What’s the formal way to say “hello” or “good morning” in Italian? 
• How do you say “goodbye” formally when leaving a shop in Italian? 
• What’s the informal way to say “hi” in Italian? 
• How do you ask “How old are you?” in Italian? 
• What’s a neutral greeting that can be used when you’re unsure about formality in Italian? 
• How do you say “My name is…” in Italian? 
• What’s the phrase used to introduce someone in Italian? 
• How do you ask “Where are you from?” in Italian? 
• How do you say “Thank you” in Italian?