Italian and English differ in their usage of adjectives. Italian descriptive adjectives are usually placed after the noun they modify, and with which they agree in gender and number.
* N& A! A( {# g1 Z4 _ COMMON ITALIAN ADJECTIVES ENDING IN -O
8 K7 v4 r6 V# Q3 b5 r8 U6 d allegro
. B9 D* n! [$ M" _ cheerful, happy
+ d7 n9 ], B& `7 `) K buono& U) j' s- w, r" G0 B9 D) j
good, kind
f5 r0 C, G; o cattivo. C# m: K& s+ |* x
bad, wicked3 a& o8 }4 v& L/ M- B5 U& ~! L
freddo4 F2 H; q ~$ ~. }" a
cold
& c7 `: { n: E ?. ]( ]+ f B) v grasso
9 ?3 \( R; K( w2 U+ W- O fat; ]/ a2 a+ _5 I/ R* h# }
leggero
6 u% G1 p6 |% M* E" @+ t- R; ]3 v( s light+ \2 s2 ?% @: j& a( t8 ~9 m1 S
nuovo
% J5 K/ c8 Q1 X+ c# m( k! T0 i new& |! j `# V2 B1 ~
pieno" D; V- x, D% | i6 t- u* E! @% F
full
; V0 _. R! n; i( n stretto
( T7 c) \& P, p8 W0 x& w+ _ narrow
- ~6 g# K* N3 r5 _+ C timido3 M: e. d( E) V% R j
timid, shy
8 V* P. l( I8 j4 D( w Adjectives ending in -o have four forms: masculine singular, masculine plural, feminine singular, and feminine plural. Observe how the adjectives nero and cattivo change to agree with nouns they modify.( |, B1 B7 }' ?0 \
ENDINGS OF -O ADJECTIVES( _& `" @- Z1 p9 N* |: b
SINGULAR1 R j$ h S \% O
PLURAL6 K5 o+ x+ N5 E) ~$ K5 e* P/ a
il gatto nero (the black cat, masculine)
6 w2 W* _, e7 |) B: d& M5 ?/ w i gatti neri (the black cats, masculine)) t7 `: V* u+ u3 S$ Y
la gatta nera (the black cat, feminine): j4 V! V- }1 e3 \
le gatte nere (the black cats, feminine)1 \3 Q1 J# K1 L3 M0 I, \
il ragazzo cattivo (the bad boy)3 s. C6 f+ r3 j1 W" Y
i ragazzi cattivi (the bad boys)
. F% j) `1 \ h! p% d la ragazza cattiva (the bad girl)
9 g; q8 w9 k/ G/ m6 i+ ^ le ragazze cattive (the bad girls)- T, [; [% d, ]: M, ?; p7 i T
Note that when an adjective modifies two nouns of different gender, it retains its masculine ending. For example: i padri e le madre italiani (Italian fathers and mothers).
9 M& o/ Z, q5 E# i, h7 ^& M4 _ Although the majority of Italian adjectives have four forms (as in italiano, italiana, italiani, italiane) there are exceptions. Not all Italian adjectives have a singular form ending in -o. There are a number of adjectives that end in -e. The singular ending -e changes to -i in the plural, whether the noun is masculine or feminine.
( w2 n7 J7 ]& r$ J6 d ENDINGS OF -E ADJECTIVES
( `& C; N/ u4 R( s7 M D SINGULAR
0 y+ U8 h- B& } PLURAL
$ T6 p9 f6 H0 C; y; z- R il ragazzo triste (the sad boy)
; S# P4 I- E" M i ragazzi tristi(the sad boys)
$ i6 w" Y. B( L7 M- o3 B* G la ragazza triste (the sad girl)
0 J$ a: b2 H+ [# b# y# k( c$ P le ragazze tristi (the sad girls)
a$ X6 u' \$ o8 b, |! ^! |2 S ITALIAN ADJECTIVES ENDING IN -E
" i4 M+ w- V* u3 i: m& Z& Z abile- n9 L4 a7 [' [% o- U% a
able
! }# e8 S# m6 F: ~: |* M difficile
) j6 b$ G7 Q0 h1 E: n7 m; L6 z difficult
6 a& @' g1 O; Q+ K7 x felice
6 R& H- k0 S* \# @' s: m happy
- g* l; [) W7 `+ s5 K, ^ forte0 a% m& R. q1 c9 m: j) B# X
strong
. S: V" J# T9 N7 P$ ]1 e grande# A4 G ~) H' \6 y: W* T) n: e7 M
big, large, great8 C& E8 M) C6 A$ ~ F
importante# B O' t* R1 ^7 \5 z- A! ]. f
important! d- o% D1 x. F3 W3 W/ E4 t! l
intelligente( [7 f; z( p) G' {0 y V" Z
intelligent
* W: F% g6 W: O; \ interessante
$ {' U6 \- M9 n$ y5 D+ B& ~ interesting
" b' e/ {6 U: I triste) d6 U$ v' X- V; P4 L
sad
( F2 N1 O. C$ n/ H, v/ C veloce
6 ~/ r' Y9 _8 _" }! P fast, speedy6 j i: o, O* E8 B% A
There are quite a few other exceptions for forming plural adjectives. For instance, adjectives that end in -io (with the stress falling on that i) form the plural with the ending -ii: addio/addii; leggio/leggii; zio/zii. The table below contains a chart of other irregular adjective endings you should know.
5 r' O% }- r u t" L FORMING PLURAL ADJECTIVES
, W5 Q y# p' K SINGULAR ENDING
0 @. X/ V* T- I) S6 G$ ~ PLURAL ENDING+ a7 Q+ F8 q" V7 Z7 E6 c5 W7 O
-ca8 T" c! |. A& ~! B( Y
-che" _( C4 p, Y$ W
-cia
9 ~! \0 b& ?: U2 G Q0 A- p -ce
" d" b3 M' b3 h4 }1 _" J7 y0 O4 V -cio
; U' Z$ t+ e; T% i# ]; G -ci& ?8 X7 `4 N( l
-co
# v/ k2 l% G8 j( o Y J- [' x$ u -chi# p) k& ^ q* L
-ga4 C+ a7 f; C U2 }- p
-ghe
: m5 X1 t; a5 U" @ -gia
) W7 |: G2 w; R -ge
# k2 m* q* {$ ? -gio
0 P& i( ]* E, N, F! t/ { -gi
, {* z' \3 P5 w* |% F+ F; F( O -glia
3 F" z+ W# s0 v" A -glie
, y$ k: n) g" z, y -glio
+ M. P# R0 G3 x: x1 b ?! a1 a -gli
* [% k$ v# K- [ -go
+ B+ e# W1 S, d5 j v) }9 B -ghi4 ]* {8 V4 z/ v X
-scia
1 w( B* D- J ~( d8 }8 ] -sce
% u1 b: R9 S5 I2 C% Y! Z -scio% ?& B$ N: J2 ^* k9 G
-sci |