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Understanding Italian Noun Gender
In Italian, every noun has a gender. This means that each noun is either masculine or feminine. Knowing the gender of a noun is important because it affects the form of other words in a sentence, like articles and adjectives.
How to Identify Masculine Nouns
Important Points
Most nouns ending in '-o' are masculine.
Nouns that refer to male people or animals are usually masculine.
Days of the week and months are masculine.
Examples
Ilragazzo (The boy) - masculine
Ilgatto (The cat, if male) - masculine
Illunedì (Monday) - masculine
How to Identify Feminine Nouns
Important Points
Most nouns ending in '-a' are feminine.
Nouns that refer to female people or animals are usually feminine.
Names of fruits are often feminine.
Examples
Laragazza (The girl) - feminine
Lagatta (The cat, if female) - feminine
Lamela (The apple) - feminine
There are some exceptions to these rules, and some nouns that end in '-e' can be either masculine or feminine. It's important to learn these exceptions as you advance in your studies.
Examples
Ilfiore (The flower) - masculine
Lanotte (The night) - feminine
Practice and Memorization
The best way to learn the gender of nouns is through practice and memorization. Try to remember the gender of each new noun you learn.
Ready to test your knowledge about Italian Noun Gender?