Italian Adjectives (Gli Aggettivi)

Adjectives are words that describe nouns (big, beautiful, red). In Italian, unlike in English, adjectives change based on the gender and number of the noun they describe. They also usually come after the noun!

Agreement Rules

Just like nouns, adjectives have endings that must match the noun they describe.

Group 1: 4 Endings (-o, -a, -i, -e)

Most adjectives belong to this group. They follow the standard pattern:

Gender	Singular	Plural	Example
Masculine	-o	-i	il ragazzo alto (tall boy) → i ragazzi alti
Feminine	-a	-e	la ragazza alta (tall girl) → le ragazze alte

Examples:

• Il libro nuovo (The new book)
• La casa nuova (The new house)
• I libri nuovi (The new books)
• Le case nuove (The new houses)

Group 2: 2 Endings (-e, -i)

Some adjectives end in -e in the singular. They use -i for the plural, for BOTH masculine and feminine nouns.

Gender	Singular	Plural	Example
Masculine	-e	-i	il libro interessante → i libri interessanti
Feminine	-e	-i	la lezione interessante → le lezioni interessanti

Common -E adjectives:

• interessante (interesting)
• intelligente (intelligent)
• grande (big)
• verde (green)
• giovane (young)
• veloce (fast)
• triste (sad)

Position of Adjectives

General Rule: After the Noun

Most adjectives go after the noun.

• Una macchina rossa (A red car)
• Un ragazzo italiano (An Italian boy)
• Una pizza buona (A good pizza)

Exception: Before the Noun

A small group of common adjectives can go before the noun for emphasis. Remember “BAGS” adjectives (Beauty, Age, Goodness, Size).

• Bello: Un bel film (A beautiful movie)
• Brutto: Un brutto sogno (A bad dream)
• Nuovo / Vecchio: Una vecchia amica (An old friend - known for a long time)
• Buono / Cattivo: Un buon libro (A good book)
• Grande / Piccolo: Una grande festa (A big/great party)

Special Forms: Buono and Bello

When used before the noun, buono and bello change like articles!

Buono

Follows the pattern of un, uno, una, un’:

• Un buon amico
• Un buono studente
• Una buona amica

Bello

Follows the pattern of il, lo, l’, i, gli, le:

• Un bel ragazzo (like il)
• Un begli occhi (like gli)
• *Un **bell’*uomo (like l’)
• Una bella donna (like la)

Colors

Most colors follow the rules of Group 1 (-o/-a/-i/-e) or Group 2 (-e/-i).

• Rosso / Rossa / Rossi / Rosse
• Verde / Verdi

Invariable Colors: Some colors NEVER change (usually derived from objects/flowers):

• Rosa (pink): le scarpe rosa
• Viola (purple): i pantaloni viola
• Blu (blue): le auto blu
• Arancione (orange - usually invariable in spoken Italian, though written can change)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Forgetting agreement

• Wrong: La casa è bello.
• Right: La casa è bella.

❌ Putting descriptive adjectives before the noun

• Wrong: Ho una rossa macchina.
• Right: Ho una macchina rossa.

❌ Not changing -e adjectives for plural

• Wrong: Due ragazzi intelligente.
• Right: Due ragazzi intelligenti.

❌ Changing invariable colors

• Wrong: Le scarpe rose.
• Right: Le scarpe rosa.

Practice Exercises

Make the adjective agree with the noun:

1. La casa (piccolo) _______
2. I libri (interessante) _______
3. Le macchine (veloce) _______
4. Il ragazzo (simpatico) _______
5. Le ragazze (triste) _______
6. Un (bello) _______ film
7. I gatti (nero) _______
8. Le penne (rosso) _______
9. Un (buono) _______ amico
10. Gli occhi (blu) _______

Answers

1. piccola
2. interessanti
3. veloci
4. simpatico
5. tristi
6. bel (before noun!)
7. neri
8. rosse
9. buon (before noun!)
10. blu (invariable)

Keep it up! Adjectives add color to your language - use them wisely! 🎨