A1 Italian GrammarNoun Gender
Learn the gender system for Italian nouns. Italian has two genders: masculine and feminine. Most nouns ending in -o are masculine, most ending in -a are feminine. Master the patterns and common exceptions to correctly use articles and adjectives.
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1Basic Gender Rules
Italian nouns are either masculine or feminine. The most reliable rule: nouns ending in -o are usually masculine (il libro), nouns ending in -a are usually feminine (la casa). Nouns ending in -e can be either gender and must be memorized. Always learn nouns with their article.
Gender by Ending
| Ending | Gender | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -o | masculine | il libro, il ragazzo, il vino |
| -a | feminine | la casa, la ragazza, la pizza |
| -e | either | il padre (m), la madre (f) |
| -ione | feminine | la stazione, la lezione |
Examples
Il gatto dorme sul divano.
The cat sleeps on the sofa.
gatto ends in -o = masculine
La finestra è aperta.
The window is open.
finestra ends in -a = feminine
Il ristorante è chiuso.
The restaurant is closed.
-e ending but masculine
La chiave è sul tavolo.
The key is on the table.
-e ending but feminine
2Nouns Ending in -e
Nouns ending in -e require memorization. Some patterns help: -ione words are feminine (la televisione), -ore words are masculine (il dottore). Many -e nouns referring to people have the same form for both genders: il/la cantante (the singer). Context and the article tell you the gender.
Common -e Nouns
| Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
| il padre (father) | la madre (mother) |
| il fiore (flower) | la notte (night) |
| il cane (dog) | la chiave (key) |
| il giornale (newspaper) | la lezione (lesson) |
| il pesce (fish) | la carne (meat) |
Examples
Il mio cane è molto grande.
My dog is very big.
cane is masculine
La notte è bella.
The night is beautiful.
notte is feminine
Il cantante è famoso.
The singer (male) is famous.
cantante with il = male singer
La cantante è bravissima.
The singer (female) is excellent.
same word, but la = female
3Exceptions to Gender Rules
Some common nouns break the typical rules. Masculine nouns ending in -a include: il problema, il tema, il sistema, il cinema, il programma. These are often words of Greek origin. Feminine nouns ending in -o are rare: la mano (hand), la radio, la foto, la moto (shortened forms).
Common Exceptions
| Word | Gender | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| il problema | masculine | the problem |
| il tema | masculine | the theme/topic |
| il cinema | masculine | the cinema |
| la mano | feminine | the hand |
| la foto | feminine | the photo |
| la radio | feminine | the radio |
Examples
Il problema è molto difficile.
The problem is very difficult.
-a ending but masculine!
La mano è pulita.
The hand is clean.
-o ending but feminine!
Il sistema funziona bene.
The system works well.
Greek origin word, masculine
La foto è bellissima.
The photo is beautiful.
shortened form, stays feminine
4Natural Gender
For people and animals, grammatical gender often matches biological sex. Many nouns have different forms: ragazzo/ragazza, figlio/figlia, gatto/gatta. Some professions are changing: use il medico or la medica, il professore or la professoressa. Family terms always match natural gender.
Masculine and Feminine Pairs
| Masculine | Feminine | English |
|---|---|---|
| il ragazzo | la ragazza | boy/girl |
| il figlio | la figlia | son/daughter |
| il nonno | la nonna | grandfather/grandmother |
| il professore | la professoressa | professor (m/f) |
| il cameriere | la cameriera | waiter/waitress |
Examples
Mia figlia ha tre anni.
My daughter is three years old.
figlia for daughter (feminine)
Il nonno è molto simpatico.
Grandfather is very nice.
nonno for grandfather
La professoressa insegna matematica.
The teacher (f) teaches mathematics.
professoressa = female professor
Lo zio e la zia vengono a cena.
Uncle and aunt are coming to dinner.
zio/zia = uncle/aunt pair
Practice Exercises
3 exercises
Complete: '___ libro è interessante.' (The book is interesting.)
Which word is an exception to gender rules?
Complete: '___ finestra è aperta.' (The window is open.)
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