Gender of Nouns
Il genere dei nomi
In Italian, every noun has a grammatical gender: Masculine or Feminine. Unlike other languages, there is no 'neuter' (it) for objects.
Why Does Gender Matter?
The gender of a noun dictates the form of the articles and adjectives that accompany it. If the noun is feminine, the adjective must also be feminine.
| Element | Masculine Example | Feminine Example |
|---|---|---|
| Definite Article | il ragazzo (the boy) | la ragazza (the girl) |
| Indefinite Article | un libro (a book) | una penna (a pen) |
| Adjective Agreement | il ragazzo alto | la ragazza alta |
| Plural Change | i ragazzi (the boys) | le ragazze (the girls) |
The Basic Rule: O vs. A
The easiest way to identify gender in Italian is to look at the last letter of the word.
- Nouns ending in -O are usually Masculine.
- Nouns ending in -A are usually Feminine.
- Nouns ending in -E can be either and require memorization.
Gender Suffix Patterns
Beyond -o and -a, specific endings almost always indicate a certain gender:
| Ending | Gender | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ore | Masculine | il dottore (doctor) |
| -one | Masculine | il bastone (stick) |
| -ismo | Masculine | il turismo (tourism) |
| -zione | Feminine | la stazione (station) |
| -sione | Feminine | la pensione (pension) |
| -tà / -tù | Feminine | la città (city) / la virtù |
| -ice | Feminine | l'attrice (actress) |
Articles as a Clue
If you aren't sure of the ending, the article is your best friend:
| Type | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| Definite | il / lo / l' | la / l' |
| Indefinite | un / uno | una / un' |
Tricky Exceptions
Some words look feminine but are masculine (often Greek origins), and vice versa.
| Noun | Gender | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| il problema | Masculine | problem |
| il cinema | Masculine | cinema |
| la mano | Feminine | hand |
| la foto | Feminine | photo (short for fotografia) |
| il pigiama | Masculine | pajamas |
| la radio | Feminine | radio |
Example Sentences
Il sole è caldo.The sun is hot.
La luna è bianca.The moon is white.
Il cane è nel giardino.The dog is in the garden.
Una pizza margherita, per favore.A margherita pizza, please.
Natural Gender
For living beings, the grammatical gender usually follows the biological sex.
Mio nonno è italiano.noun: il nonno · type: Masculine
Mia nonna cucina bene.noun: la nonna · type: Feminine
Il cantante è bravo / La cantante è brava.noun: il/la cantante · type: Variable