5. Adjectives
Adjectives usually function as modifiers to nouns and determine what kinds of characteristics the nouns have.
Adjectives can be categorized into two groups according to whether they can be inflected in terms of both the gender and number of the noun they modify or only number.
Group I – the adjective is inflected in gender and number:
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | un tavolo rosso | tavoli rossi |
| Feminine | una gonna rossa | gonne rosse |
When the adjective ends in -e (e.g. grande big), it is only inflected in number.
Group II – the adjective is only inflected in number:
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | un edificio grande | edifici grandi |
| Feminine | una casa grande | case grandi |
In Italian, the adjective does not have a single fixed place. It is usually situated after its headword, but it can also precede the noun it modifies. In some cases, the adjective’s meaning changes when its position changes:
una domanda semplice
a simple questionun amico vecchio
an elderly friend
una semplice domanda
just a questionun vecchio amico
an old friend
Adjectives that are derived from nouns as well as those denoting colour, nationality, origin, religion or ideology cannot precede the noun they modify:
un prete cattolico NOT un cattolico prete
a catholic priest
un signore francese NOT un francese signore
a French man