Nouns

Question 1

What is the gender of “edificio” (building)?

Answer 1

Masculine.

Nouns ending in -o are usually masculine (singular).

Question 2

Is “porta” (door) feminine or masculine?

Answer 2

Feminine.

Nouns ending in -a are usually feminine (singular).

Question 3

The gender of “l’aroma” (aroma) is…

Answer 3

Masculine.

Nouns derived from Greek and ending in -ma are masculine (singular).

Question 4

State the gender of “poeta” (poet).

Answer 4

Masculine.

Nouns derived from Greek and ending in -ta are masculine (singular).

Question 5

The gender of “il caffè” (coffee) is…

Answer 5

Masculine.

Nouns ending in -e or a consonant may be either gender.

Question 6

State whether “giornalismo” is masculine or feminine.

Answer 6

Masculine.

Nouns ending in -ismo are usually masculine (singular).

Question 7

What is the gender of “sarcasmo”?

Answer 7

Masculine.

Nouns ending in -asmo are usually masculine (singular).

Question 8

*Is “momento” masculine or feminine?

Answer 8

Masculine.

Nouns ending in -ment or -mento are usually masculine (singular).

Question 9

The gender of “generale” is…

Answer 9

Masculine.

Nouns ending in -ale are usually masculine (singular).

Question 10

State the gender of “spettacolo.”

Answer 10

Masculine.

Nouns ending in -acolo are usually masculine (singular).

Question 11

State whether “giardino” is masculine or feminine.

Answer 11

Masculine.

Nouns ending in -ino are usually masculine (singular).

Question 12

What is the gender of “camion”?

Answer 12

Masculine.

Nouns ending in -on are usually masculine (singular).

Question 13

Is “garage” masculine or feminine?

Answer 13

Masculine.

Nouns ending in -age are usually masculine (singular).

Question 14

The gender of “l’interruttore” is…

Answer 14

Masculine.

Nouns ending in -ore are usually masculine (singular).

Question 15

State the gender of “produzione.”

Answer 15

Feminine.

Nouns ending in -zione are usually feminine (singular).

Question 16

State whether “decisione” is masculine or feminine.

Answer 16

Feminine.

Nouns ending in -sione are usually feminine (singular).

Question 17

What is the gender of “verità”?

Answer 17

Feminine.

Nouns ending in -tà are usually feminine (singular).

Question 18

Is “virtù” masculine or feminine?

Answer 18

Feminine.

Nouns ending in -tù are usually feminine (singular).

Question 19

The gender of “pace” is…

Answer 19

Feminine.

Nouns ending in -ce are usually feminine (singular).

Question 20

What is the gender of “concorrenza”?

Answer 20

Feminine.

Nouns ending in -enza are usually feminine (singular).

Question 21

Is “specie” masculine or feminine?

Answer 21

Feminine.

Nouns ending in -cie are usually feminine (singular).

Question 22

How do you form the feminine in nouns ending in -o?

Answer 22

by changing the -o to -a

Question 23

How do nouns ending in consonants become feminine?

Answer 23

by adding -a to the end

Question 24

The gender of “limone” is…

Answer 24

Masculine.

Nouns ending in -one are usually masculine (singular).

Question 25

Turn “il duca” (duke) feminine.

Answer 25

la duchessa

Many nouns designating titles and professions become feminine by changing the ending to -essa.

Question 26

What is the feminine form of “l’eroe” (hero)?

Answer 26

l’eroina

Many nouns designating titles and professions become feminine by changing the ending to -ina.

Question 27

The feminine form of “l’attore” (actor) is…

Answer 27

l’attrice

Many nouns designating titles and professions become feminine by changing the ending to -trice.

Question 28

State the feminine form of “il poeta” (poet).

Answer 28

la poetessa

Many nouns designating titles and professions become feminine by changing the ending to -essa.

Question 29

Pluralize “libro.”

Answer 29

libri

Nouns ending in -o usually become plural by changing the -o to -i.

Question 30

What’s the plural form of “pagina”?

Answer 30

pagine

Nouns ending in -a usually become plural by changing the -a to -e.

Question 31

How do nouns ending in -e usually become plural?

Answer 31

Nouns ending in -e usually become plural by changing the -e to -i (regardless of gender).

Question 32

State the plural form of “il giornalista.”

Answer 32

i gionalisti

Nouns ending in -ista and referring to male professionals become plural by changing -ista to -isti.

Question 33

Pluralize “la giornalista.”

Answer 33

le gionaliste

Nouns ending in -ista and referring to female professionals become plural by changing -ista to -iste.

Question 34

*Make “il monarca” (monarch) plural.

Answer 34

i monarchi (monarchs)

Masculine nouns ending in -ca, -co(?) become plural by changing -ca to -chi.

Question 35

What’s the plural form of “il collega” (colleague)?

Answer 35

i colleghi (colleagues)

Masculine nouns ending in -ga, -go(?) become plural by changing -ga to -ghi.

Question 36

Pluralize “l’amica” (friend).

Answer 36

le amiche (friends)

Feminine nouns ending in -ca become plural by changing -ca to -che.

Question 37

How do feminine nouns ending in -ga become plural?

Answer 37

Feminine nouns ending in -ga become plural by changing -ga to -ghe.

Question 38

Make “Belga” (the Belgian) masculine plural.

Answer 38

Belgi (the Belgians)

This is an exception to the rule that masculine nouns ending in -ga become plural by changing -ga to -ghi.

Question 39

Make “Belga” (the Belgian) feminine plural.

Answer 39

Belghe (the Belgians)

Feminine nouns ending in -ga become plural by changing -ga to -ghe.

Question 40

State the plural form of “la doccia” (shower).

Answer 40

le docce (showers)

Feminine nouns ending in -cia (with an unstressed ‘i’) form their plural in -ce.

Question 41

Make “la pioggia” (rain) plural.

Answer 41

le piogge (rain)

Feminine nouns ending in -gia (with an unstressed ‘i’) form their plural in -ge.

Question 42

*Turn “la farmacia” (drugstore) plural.

Answer 42

le farmacie (drugstores)

Nouns ending in -cia (with a stressed ‘i’)/-cìa(?) form regular plurals with -cie/-cìe(?).

Question 43

Pluralize “la bugia” (lie).

Answer 43

le bugie (lies)

Nouns ending in -gia (with a stressed ‘i’)/-gìa(?) form regular plurals with -gie/-gìe(?).

Question 44

What’s the plural form of “la città” (city)?

Answer 44

la città (city)

Some masculine and feminine nouns ending in a stressed vowel don’t alter in the plural.

Question 45

List the seven nouns that are always plural.

Answer 45

-i dintorni (surroundings)
-le carabattole (belongings)
-i annali (annals)
-i occhiali (glasses)
-i ferri (shackles)
-i dolciumi (sweets)
-i pantaloni (pants)

Question 46

What six nouns are always singular?

Answer 46

-proper names
-corners of the earth and unique things (e.g., west, horizon, sun)
-matters, materials, and precious metals (e.g., milk, coal, gold)
-abstract conceptions and human qualities (e.g., joy, existence)
-collective nouns (e.g., youth, nation)
-some nouns that usually have the suffix -ism/names of sciences, religions, fields (e.g., Buddhism, logic, impressionism, medicine)

Question 47

Is the Italian word for “money” used in the singular or plural?

Answer 47

plural (i soldi)

This is an exception to the rule that collective nouns are always singular.