A2 Italian GrammarAdjective Endings
Master Italian adjective agreement with nouns in gender and number. Learn the patterns for -o/-a adjectives and -e adjectives, as well as irregular forms and proper placement.
1Regular -o/-a Adjectives
Most Italian adjectives end in -o (masculine singular) and change to agree with the noun in gender and number. These four-form adjectives have distinct endings for each combination of gender and number.
Four-form Adjective Endings
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | -o (alto) | -i (alti) |
| Feminine | -a (alta) | -e (alte) |
Examples
Il ragazzo alto.
The tall boy.
masculine singular -o
La ragazza alta.
The tall girl.
feminine singular -a
I ragazzi alti.
The tall boys.
masculine plural -i
Le ragazze alte.
The tall girls.
feminine plural -e
2Two-form -e Adjectives
Adjectives ending in -e have only two forms: -e for all singulars and -i for all plurals. They don't distinguish gender, only number. This is simpler than four-form adjectives.
Two-form Adjective Endings
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | -e (grande) | -i (grandi) |
| Feminine | -e (grande) | -i (grandi) |
Examples
Un uomo intelligente.
An intelligent man.
masculine singular -e
Una donna intelligente.
An intelligent woman.
feminine singular -e (same)
Due libri interessanti.
Two interesting books.
masculine plural -i
Delle storie tristi.
Some sad stories.
feminine plural -i (same)
3Special Adjectives: Bello, Buono, Grande
Some common adjectives have special forms when placed BEFORE the noun. Bello follows the pattern of definite articles. Buono follows indefinite articles. Grande shortens to gran before consonants.
Bello Before Nouns
| Before | Masc. Sing. | Fem. Sing. | Masc. Pl. | Fem. Pl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| consonant | bel | bella | bei | belle |
| vowel | bell' | bell' | begli | belle |
| s+cons/z | bello | bella | begli | belle |
Examples
Un bel ragazzo.
A handsome boy.
bel before consonant
Un bell'uomo.
A handsome man.
bell' before vowel
Un buon caffè.
A good coffee.
buon before consonant
Un grand'amore / Un gran libro.
A great love / A great book.
grande shortens
4Adjective Position
Most Italian adjectives come AFTER the noun (different from English). However, common adjectives like bello, brutto, buono, cattivo, grande, piccolo, nuovo, vecchio often come before the noun.
Position Rules
| Position | Adjective Types | Example |
|---|---|---|
| After noun | colors, nationalities, technical | una macchina rossa |
| After noun | derived from nouns | un libro storico |
| Before noun | common descriptive | una bella casa |
| Either | some change meaning | un grande uomo / un uomo grande |
Examples
Ho una macchina italiana.
I have an Italian car.
nationality after noun
Vivo in una piccola casa.
I live in a small house.
piccola before noun
È un uomo grande. (big)
He is a big man.
after = physical size
È un grand'uomo. (great)
He is a great man.
before = figurative