Basic Italian: A Grammar and Workbook

sound of c and g and add h (-chi, -ghi), or change the sound of c and g in the
plural (-ci, -gi). The feminine plural forms always add h (-che, -ghe) in order
to keep the hard sound of c and g. If in doubt, check in a dictionary; the best
way to remember these sorts of plural is through practice:

The adjective belga, as we have seen, keeps the hard sound of g in the femi-
nine plural by adding h (belghe); but it changes the sound in the masculine
plural (belgi).

7 As can be seen in the examples, the adjective normally comes after the
noun it refers to and (unless it is invariable) it must agree in gender and
number with the noun. It must also agree in gender and number with
the noun even where it is separated from it by another word, such as a
verb:

When the adjective refers to two or more nouns which are different in gender,
it is masculine plural:

8 In some cases the adjective can also precede the noun it refers to. When the
adjective comes before the noun, the meaning of the noun becomes different,
as in these examples:

Masculine

singular

greco

pratico

pubblico

ricco

fresco

largo

Masculine

plural

greci

pratici

pubblici

ricchi

freschi

larghi

Feminine

singular

greca

pratica

pubblica

ricca

fresca

larga

Feminine

plural

greche

pratiche

pubbliche

ricche

fresche

larghe

Greek

practical

public

rich

fresh

wide

Lorenzo è italiano.

Lorenzo e Vittorio sono italiani.

Anna è italiana.

Anna e Claudia sono italiane.

Lorenzo is Italian.

Lorenzo and Vittorio are Italian.

Anna is Italian.

Anna and Claudia are Italian.

Lorenzo, Anna e Claudia sono

italiani.

Sabine e Kurt sono tedeschi.

Il computer e la stampante sono

nuovi.

Il bagno e la cucina sono piccoli.

I pantaloni e la camicia sono nuovi.

Lorenzo, Anna and Claudia are

Italian.

Sabine and Kurt are German.

The computer and the printer are new.

The bathroom and the kitchen are

small.

The trousers and the shirt are new.