A1 Italian GrammarPlural Nouns
Learn how to form plural nouns in Italian by changing the final vowel. Masculine nouns ending in -o change to -i, feminine nouns ending in -a change to -e. Also learn common irregular plurals and nouns that don't change in the plural form.
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1Regular Masculine Plurals
Most masculine nouns end in -o in the singular. To form the plural, change -o to -i. Masculine nouns ending in -e also change to -i. The definite article also changes: il becomes i, lo becomes gli, l' becomes gli.
Masculine Noun Plurals
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| il libro | i libri | the book(s) |
| il ragazzo | i ragazzi | the boy(s) |
| il gatto | i gatti | the cat(s) |
| lo studente | gli studenti | the student(s) |
| l'amico | gli amici | the friend(s) |
| il padre | i padri | the father(s) |
Examples
I libri sono sul tavolo.
The books are on the table.
libro → libri (-o → -i)
Ho due fratelli.
I have two brothers.
fratello → fratelli
Gli studenti studiano italiano.
The students study Italian.
lo studente → gli studenti
I miei amici arrivano domani.
My friends arrive tomorrow.
l'amico → gli amici
2Regular Feminine Plurals
Most feminine nouns end in -a in the singular. To form the plural, change -a to -e. Feminine nouns ending in -e change to -i (same as masculine). The article changes: la becomes le, l' becomes le.
Feminine Noun Plurals
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| la casa | le case | the house(s) |
| la ragazza | le ragazze | the girl(s) |
| la penna | le penne | the pen(s) |
| l'amica | le amiche | the friend(s) (f.) |
| la madre | le madri | the mother(s) |
| la notte | le notti | the night(s) |
Examples
Le case sono grandi.
The houses are big.
casa → case (-a → -e)
Le ragazze parlano italiano.
The girls speak Italian.
ragazza → ragazze
Ho comprato tre penne.
I bought three pens.
penna → penne
Le chiavi sono nella borsa.
The keys are in the bag.
chiave → chiavi (-e → -i)
3Spelling Changes
Some nouns require spelling changes to preserve pronunciation. Nouns ending in -co/-ca may add 'h' to keep the hard 'k' sound: amico → amici but banco → banchi. Nouns ending in -go/-ga add 'h': lago → laghi, bottega → botteghe.
Spelling Changes in Plurals
| Singular | Plural | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| amico | amici | -co → -ci (no h) |
| banco | banchi | -co → -chi (with h) |
| lago | laghi | -go → -ghi (with h) |
| amica | amiche | -ca → -che (with h) |
| bottega | botteghe | -ga → -ghe (with h) |
| medico | medici | -co → -ci (no h) |
Examples
I miei amici italiani.
My Italian friends.
amico → amici (no h needed)
Ci sono molti parchi in città.
There are many parks in the city.
parco → parchi (h keeps hard sound)
I laghi del nord Italia sono belli.
The lakes of northern Italy are beautiful.
lago → laghi
Le mie amiche sono simpatiche.
My friends (f.) are nice.
amica → amiche (h keeps hard sound)
4Invariable and Irregular Nouns
Some nouns don't change in the plural: words ending in accented vowels (caffè, città), foreign words (bar, film, computer), and one-syllable words. Some nouns are irregular: uomo → uomini, uovo → uova (becomes feminine in plural).
Invariable and Irregular Plurals
| Singular | Plural | Note |
|---|---|---|
| il caffè | i caffè | accented vowel - no change |
| la città | le città | accented vowel - no change |
| il bar | i bar | foreign word - no change |
| il film | i film | foreign word - no change |
| l'uomo | gli uomini | irregular |
| l'uovo | le uova | irregular (becomes fem.) |
Examples
Vorrei due caffè, per favore.
I would like two coffees, please.
caffè doesn't change
Le città italiane sono belle.
Italian cities are beautiful.
città doesn't change
Gli uomini lavorano.
The men are working.
uomo → uomini (irregular)
Ho comprato sei uova.
I bought six eggs.
l'uovo → le uova (becomes fem. plural)
Practice Exercises
3 exercises
What is the plural of 'libro' (book)?
What is the plural of 'casa' (house)?
Complete: '___ studenti studiano italiano.' (The students study Italian.)
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