Qualifying adjectives

What “agreement” means (the key idea)

In Italian, the adjective must match the noun it describes in:

• gender: masculine / feminine
• number: singular / plural

So you don’t choose the adjective form by meaning (“good”, “big”) but by the noun’s form (il/lo/un… or la/una…; singular/plural).

Step-by-step: choose the correct adjective form

1. Identify the noun (the thing): pomodoro, torta, pezzo, spezia…
2. Check gender: usually ends in -o = masculine, -a = feminine
3. Check number: singular or plural (pomodoro vs pomodori)
4. Apply the adjective pattern (see table below)

The most useful patterns (A1)

Practical shortcut: if the adjective ends in -e, it stays the same in masculine/feminine singular. Only the plural changes to -i.

Word order: where the adjective goes

• Default position: noun + adjective
• Examples: un pomodoro grande, una torta buona, un esercizio facile

This is the safest choice for A1: put the adjective after the noun unless you learn a common fixed expression.

Common exception: “buono” before the noun (buon)

Some frequent adjectives can also come before the noun. In this unit you see:

• buono → becomes buon before a masculine singular noun starting with most consonants

Self-check: if you place it before the noun, don’t keep the final -o in this pattern: un buono caffè → un buon caffè.

Fast self-check: can you “see” the match?

• la torta (feminine singular) → torta buona
• il pomodoro (masculine singular) → pomodoro grande
• i pomodori (masculine plural) → pomodori grandi
• le cipolle (feminine plural) → cipolle fresche

Two typical traps (and how to avoid them)

• Trap 1: copying the noun ending automatically
  • grande does not become granda. It stays grande in singular.
• Trap 2: spelling changes in the plural
  • fresco → freschi (not fresci)
  • fresca → fresche (not fresce)

What you should be able to do now

• Choose the adjective ending that matches the noun (gender + number).
• Use the default order noun + adjective confidently.
• Recognize the very common pre-noun form buon in expressions like un buon caffè.