Learn Italian: A Guide To Learning The Basics of A New Language (2015)
Chapter 18. Adjectives
Adjectives, like the nouns they describe, are either masculine or feminine and they undergo changes to agree with the number and gender of the noun they are modifying.
Adjectives have attributive functions and predicative functions.
1. Adjectives perform an attributive function when they are used to directly describe a noun:
Example:
una casa grande |
a big house |
un bambino intelligente |
a smart child |
un leader onesto |
an honest leader |
2. Adjectives perform a predicative function when they are used to describe a noun through a linking verb.
Example:
La casa è grande. |
The house is big. |
Il bambino è intelligente. |
The child is intelligent. |
Il leader è onesto. |
The leader is honest. |
The following are the rules that govern the changes in the endings of adjectives:
1. Adjectives that end in –e
Adjectives ending in –e take the –e ending for masculine and feminine gender in the singular and both changes to –i in the plural from.
Example: grande (big)
Masculine |
Feminine |
|
Singular |
grande |
grande |
Plural |
grandi |
grandi |
Exception: Adjectives ending in –one take the ending –ona in singular feminine and –one in plural feminine.
Usage:
Il mio amico Daniel vive in una grande casa. |
My friend Daniel lives in a big house. |
Ci sono molte grandi case nei sobborghi. |
There are many big houses in the suburbs. |
2. Adjectives that end in –o
Adjectives ending in –o comprise the majority of Italian adjectives and take on four different endings.
Masculine |
Feminine |
||
Singular |
-o |
-a |
|
Plural |
-i |
-e |
Example: caro (expensive)
Masculine |
Feminine |
|
Singular |
caro |
cara |
Plural |
cari |
care |
Usage:
il libro caro |
the expensive book |
la camicia cara |
an expensive shirt |
i libri cari |
the expensive books |
le camicie care |
the expensive shirts |
3. Adjectives that end in –ista
Adjectives ending in –ista take on three different endings.
Masculine |
Feminine |
|
Singular |
sta |
sta |
Plural |
sti |
ste |
Example: ottimista (optimist)
Masculine |
Feminine |
|
Singular |
ottimista |
ottimista |
Plural |
ottimisti |
ottimiste |
Usage
un uomo ottimista |
an optimistic man |
una signora ottimista |
an optimistic lady |
dei ragazzi pessimiste |
some pessimistic guys |
le ragazze entusiaste |
the enthusiastic girls |
4. Invariable adjectives
Invariable adjectives are those that don’t change according to gender and number. The following are invariable adjectives:
1. ‘the monosyllabic color “blu” (blue), the colors “rosa” (pink), “marrone” (brown), and “viola” (violet).
2. adjectives that end in stressed vowels
Example: bantù (bantu), indù (hindu)
3. “Pari” (equal), “dispari” (odd), and “impari” (unequal)
4. Adverbial expressions functioning as adjectives: “dappoco” (insignificant), “dabbene” (honest), and “perbene” (respectable)
5. New compound adjectives with “anti” prefix: antifurto (anti-theft) and “antiruggine” (anti-rust).
5. Adjectives that follow the rules on the formation of the noun they modify
1. Adjectives that end in "-co" and "-go"
2. Adjectives that end in –io
Position of Adjectives
In general, adjectives follow the noun they describe.
Examples:
Maria è una donna coraggiosa. |
Maria is a brave woman. |
Suo padre è un uomo generoso. |
His father is a generous man. |
Egli è sposato con una bella signora. |
He is married to a beautiful lady. |
Non trovo il vestito blue. |
I can’t find the blue dress. |
However, some common adjectives can come before the nouns:
cattivo |
bad |
bello |
beautiful |
caro |
dear |
buono |
good |
bravo |
good, able |
grande |
large, great |
lungo |
long |
nuovo |
new |
vecchio |
old |
stesso |
same |
piccolo |
small, little |
vero |
true |
brutto |
ugly |
giovane |
young |
Examples:
Marina è una bella signora. |
Marina is a beautiful lady. |
Il suo fidanzato è un vero gentiluomo. |
Her boyfriend is a true gentleman. |
Ha appena comprato una nuova auto. |
He just bought a new car. |
However, there are situations where the above adjectives must be placed after the noun:
1. to make emphasis or contrast
2. if the adjective is modified by an adverb
Abitano iu una fattoria molto grande. |
They live in a very big farm. |
Irregular Adjectives
There are four commonly used Italian adjectives that take on irregular forms when placed before the noun: buono (good), bello (beautiful), santo (saint/holy), grande (great/big).
Buono
The adjective “buono” changes its ending to agree with the noun that follows in this manner:
If the noun is masculine:
Conditions |
Singular |
Plural |
Nouns that begin with s+z and foreign-derived nouns starting with gn, pn, ps, i, x or y+vowel |
buono |
buoni |
Nouns that begin with consonant or vowel other than those that require the adjective “buono” |
buon |
buoni |
Examples: un buon agricoltore (a good farmer), alcuni buoni tempi (some good times)
If the noun is feminine:
Conditions |
Singular |
Plural |
Nouns that begin with a consonant |
buona |
buone |
Nouns that begin wih a vowel |
buon |
buone |
Santo
The adjective “santo” changes its ending to agree with the noun that follows in accordance with the following rules:
If “santo” precedes a masculine noun:
Conditions |
Singular |
Plural |
For nouns that begin with s+z and nouns of foreign origin starting with gn, pn, ps, I, x, or y+vowel |
santo |
santi |
For nouns that begin with a consonant or a vowel except in cases where santo has to be used |
san |
santi |
Examples: San Paolo, Santi Paolo e Stefano.
If “santo” precedes a feminine noun:
Conditions
If the noun begins with a consonant |
santa |
santé |
If the noun begins with a vowel |
sant’ |
sante |
Examples:
Sant’ Emiliana, Santa Fabiola, el Sante Emiliana e Fabiola
The Adjective Bello
Bello changes its ending to agree with the noun placed after it by applying the same rules used for definite articles:
If the noun it precedes has a masculine gender:
Conditions |
Singular |
Plural |
If the noun begins with a vowel |
beli’ |
begli |
If the noun begins with s+z and a few foreign-derived nouns starting with gn, pn, ps, i, x, or y+vowel |
bello |
begli |
If the noun begins with a consonant except when “bello” and “begli” must be used |
bel |
bei |
Examples:
un bel principe (a handsome prince),
Un bel ragazzo (a handsome guy), dei bei tramonti (some beautiful sunsets), un bello zaino (a nice backpack), che begli specchi! (what beautiful mirrors!), un bell'uomo (a handsome man), che begli occhi (what beautiful eyes!).
If the noun it precedes is feminine:
Conditions |
Singular |
Plural |
If the noun starts with a vowel |
bell’ |
belle |
If the noun starts with a consonant |
bella |
belle |
Examples: una bella mattina (a beautiful morning), delle belle flori (some beautiful flowers), mia bell’ amica (my beautiful friend), le belle amiche (the beautiful friends)
Adjectives Ending in –e
Affidabile |
trustworthy |
Amichevole |
friendly |
Audace |
bold/daring |
capace |
skilled |
confidenziale |
confidential |
cortese |
courteous/kind |
debole |
weak |
difficile |
difficult |
diligente |
hardworking |
divertente |
amusing |
dolce |
sweet |
eccellente |
excellent |
elegante |
elegant |
emozionante |
exciting |
enorme |
enormous, huge |
facile |
easy |
felice |
happy |
formale |
formal |
forte |
strong |
fortunate |
lucky |
futile |
futile |
gentile |
kind |
giovane |
young |
grande |
big |
importante |
important |
indipendente |
independent |
informale |
informal |
intelligente |
intelligent |
interessante |
interesting |
inutile |
useless |
megliore |
better |
originale |
original |
ostile |
hostile |
paziente |
patient |
peggiore |
worst |
pericolose |
dangerous |
persistente |
persistent |
piacevole |
pleasant |
prudente |
careful/cautious |
puerile |
childish |
puntuale |
punctual |
puzzolente |
smelly |
scortese |
rude |
semplice |
simple |
sensibile |
sensitive |
sfavorevole |
unfavorable |
sgargiante |
gaudy |
sincere |
sincere |
soffice |
soft |
sportive |
active |
terribile |
terrible |
triste |
sad |
umile |
humble |
utile |
useful |
veloce |
fast |
Adjectives Ending in –o aagnato |
wet |
aasso |
short |
acido |
sour |
affamato |
hungry |
aggressivo |
aggressive |
allegro |
happy |
alto |
tall |
altro |
other |
ampio |
wide |
annoiato |
bored |
ansioso |
anxious |
antico |
ancient |
antipatico |
mean |
anziano |
old |
aperto |
open |
arrabbiato |
angry |
attento |
attentive |
avaro |
stingy |
bello |
beautiful |
bravo |
capable/talented |
brutto |
ugly |
buffo |
funny |
buono |
good |
burrascoso |
stormy |
calmo |
calm |
carino |
pretty |
caro |
expensive |
cattivo |
bad |
chiaro |
light |
chiuso |
closed |
colorato |
colorful |
content |
glad |
coraggioso |
courageous |
costoso |
expensive |
curioso |
curious |
delizioso |
delicious |
deluso |
disappointed |
destroy |
right (direction) |
dinamico |
dynamic |
diritto |
straight |
disinvolto |
carefree |
disonesto |
dishonest |
distrutto |
destroyed |
duro |
hard |
estero |
foreign |
falso |
insincere |
frantumato |
crushed, shattered |
fresco |
fresh |
frettoloso |
hasty |
fritto |
fried |
furbo |
shrewd |
geloso |
jealous |
generoso |
generous |
giusto |
right |
grasso |
fat |
grezzo |
raw |
ifranto |
broken |
impegnato |
busy |
ingenuo |
naive |
leggero |
light |
lento |
slow |
lungo |
long |
lussurioso |
luxurious |
magro |
thin |
malatto |
sick |
mezzo |
half |
misto |
mixed |
morto |
dead |
noioso |
boring/tedious |
noto |
well-known |
nuovo |
new |
nuvoloso |
cloudy |
occupato |
busy |
odioso |
odious, detestable, hateful |
onesto |
honest |
orgoglioso |
proud |
ostinato |
obstinate |
pazzesco |
weird |
pazzo |
crazy |
peccaminoso |
sinful |
peggio |
worse |
peino |
full |
perfetto |
perfect |
piccolo |
small |
pigro |
lazy |
piovoso |
rainy |
povero |
poor |
preferito |
favorite |
primo |
first |
profondo |
deep |
prossimo |
next |
quotidiano |
daily |
religioso |
religious |
ricco |
rich |
rumoroso |
noisy |
ruvido |
rough |
salato |
salty |
salvo |
safe |
sbagliato |
wrong |
sciocco |
silly |
scuro |
dark |
secco |
dry |
serio |
serious |
setoso |
silky |
severo |
strict |
sfacciato |
cheeky |
sfinito |
exhausted |
sfortunato |
unlucky |
sicuro |
secure |
simpatico |
nice |
sinistro |
left |
slanciato |
slender |
snello |
slim |
soleggiato |
sunny |
spaventato |
scared |
speranzoso |
hopeful |
spudorato |
shameless |
stanco |
tired |
stesso |
same |
stressato |
stressed |
studioso |
studious |
stupid |
stupid |
timido |
shy |
tranquillo |
calm, quiet |
ultimo |
last |
umido |
humid |
Vecchio |
old |
Vero |
true |
Vivo |
alive |
Vuoto |
empty |
Adjectives Ending in –ista |
|
Egoista |
selfish |
Entusiasta |
enthusiastic |
Ottimista |
optimistic |
Pessimista |
pessimistic |