Language/Italian/Grammar/Plurals

Italian Grammar - Plurals

Hi Italian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will be discussing plurals in Italian. It’s worth remembering that although the Italian language may seem difficult, it is relatively easy to learn and a great way to further your love of linguistics.

Introduction

Italian plurals present a major challenge due to the vast number of cases and the many different forms a word can take. However, once you learn the rules, it is relatively straightforward. In this lesson, we will explore those rules and exceptions in detail, with the help of a few examples.

Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Adjectives, Present Tense of Irregular Verbs, How to Use Have & Imperfect Tense.

The Basics

In Italian, plurals are most commonly formed by adding -i to masculine nouns ending in -o, and -e to feminine nouns ending in -a. For example:

Italian	Pronunciation	English
libro (masculine)	/ˈli.bro/	book	libri (masculine plural)	/ˈli.bri/	books
casa (feminine)	/ˈka.sa/	house	case (feminine plural)	/ˈka.se/	houses

There are many ways to form plurals in Italian, and while there are rules, there are also many exceptions.

Irregular plurals

Italian is like any other language in that it has many irregularities. Here are a few examples:

Italian	Pronunciation	English
albero (masculine)	/alˈbe.ro/	tree	alberi (masculine plural)	/alˈbe.ri/	trees
uomo (masculine)	/ˈwo.mo/	man	uomini (masculine plural)	/ˈwo.men.i/	men
moglie (feminine)	/ˈmɔʎʎe/	wife	mogli (feminine plural)	/ˈmɔʎʎi/	wives

It is important to memorize these exceptions, as they do not follow the same rules as regular plurals.

Plural of compound nouns

In Italian, compound nouns (i.e., nouns made up of two or more words) are generally made plural by adding the plural ending to the last word of the compound noun. For example:

Italian	Pronunciation	English
lavapiedi (masculine)	/la.va.ˈpje.di/	foot-washers	lavapiedi (masculine plural)	/la.va.ˈpje.di/	foot-washers
passaporto (masculine)	/pas.saˈpor.to/	passport	passaporti (masculine plural)	/pas.saˈpor.ti/	passports

As you can see, the same form is used for both the singular and plural forms of the noun.

Plural of proper nouns

Plural proper nouns in Italian follow the same grammatical rules as regular nouns. For example:

Italian	Pronunciation	English
Marco (masculine name)	/ˈmar.ko/	Marco	Marco e Paolo (masculine plural)	/ˈmar.ko e ˈpa.o.lo/	Marco and Paolo
Lucia (feminine name)	/lu.ˈtʃi.a/	Lucia	Lucia e Andrea (feminine plural)	/lu.ˈtʃi.a e an.ˈdre.a/	Lucia and Andrea

Dialogue

Here is a short dialogue to help you better understand plurals in context:

• Person 1: Scusi, quanto costa questo libro? (Excuse me, how much does this book cost?)
• Person 2: Questi libri costano €20. (These books cost €20.)

Conclusion

Learning plurals in Italian is essential for anyone who wants to speak this beautiful language with accuracy and fluency. Make sure you practice and pay attention to the rules, and don't be afraid to ask for help.

To improve your Italian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Italian Grammar Rules: How to Form Singular and Plural in Italian
• Italian Grammar Lessons: Plurals
• Plural of nouns in Italian - Italian grammar | Italiano Bello

Excellent job on conquering this lesson! Consider delving into these related pages: When to use GLI or LI in Italian?, Plural, Prepositions & Past Participle in Italian.

Other Lessons

• Definite Articles in Italian
• Past Tense
• Adjectives
• How to Use Have
• How to Use be
• Present Tense
• Definite Articles
• Indefinite Articles in Italian
• Accent mark to distinguish a word