Introduction
In Italian, adjectives must agree with the nouns they describe in both gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). This means that the form of the adjective changes depending on the noun it modifies.
Basic Rules
Gender Agreement
- Masculine nouns typically take adjectives ending in -o.
- Feminine nouns typically take adjectives ending in -a.
Number Agreement
- Singular nouns take singular adjectives.
- Plural nouns take plural adjectives, usually ending in -i for masculine and -e for feminine.
Examples
Singular
- Masculine: `Il libro è nuovo.` (The book is new.)
- Feminine: `La casa è nuova.` (The house is new.)
Plural
- Masculine: `I libri sono nuovi.` (The books are new.)
- Feminine: `Le case sono nuove.` (The houses are new.)
Common Adjective Endings
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| Masculine: `-o` | Masculine: `-i` |
| Feminine: `-a` | Feminine: `-e` |
Special Cases
Adjectives Ending in -e
Some adjectives have the same form for both masculine and feminine in the singular. In the plural, they follow the regular plural rule.
- Singular Masculine: `Il ragazzo è intelligente.` (The boy is intelligent.)
- Singular Feminine: `La ragazza è intelligente.` (The girl is intelligent.)
- Plural Masculine: `I ragazzi sono intelligenti.` (The boys are intelligent.)
- Plural Feminine: `Le ragazze sono intelligenti.` (The girls are intelligent.)
Summary
Adjective agreement in Italian is crucial for grammatical correctness. Always ensure that adjectives match the gender and number of the nouns they describe. This alignment helps convey clear and accurate meaning in communication.