Every Italian noun has a gender — masculine or feminine — even for inanimate things. The noun's ending usually tells you which. Plurals are formed by changing the final vowel.
Typical endings
Masculine nouns often end in -o (il libro). Feminine nouns often end in -a (la casa). Nouns ending in -e can be either gender — you have to learn each one.
- il ragazzothe boy (m.)
- la ragazzathe girl (f.)
- il fiorethe flower (m., ends in -e)
- la chiavethe key (f., ends in -e)
Regular plurals
-o → -i, -a → -e, -e → -i. This applies to both masculine and feminine -e nouns.
- libro → libribook → books
- casa → casehouse → houses
- fiore → fioriflower → flowers
- chiave → chiavikey → keys
Invariable nouns
Some nouns don't change in the plural: words ending in an accented vowel, foreign words, and one-syllable nouns.
- la città → le cittàcity → cities
- il bar → i barbar → bars
- il film → i filmfilm → films
Regular plural endings
| Singular | Plural | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -o (m.) | -i | libro → libri |
| -a (f.) | -e | casa → case |
| -e (m. or f.) | -i | fiore → fiori |
| -ista (m. or f.) | -isti / -iste | artista → artisti / artiste |