Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

This lesson covers the formation of plural nouns in Italian, focusing on endings like il naso → i nasi, la gamba → le gambe, and il piede → i piedi, plus irregular plurals such as il dito → le dita and l'uomo → gli uomini.
  1. The article tells us whether the noun is singular or plural.
Singolare (Singular) Plurale (Plural)
-oIl naso (The nose)->"i"  I nasi (the noses)
-aLa gamba (The leg)->"e"  Le gambe (The legs)
-eIl piede (The foot)->"i"  I piedi (The feet)

Exceptions!

  1. Some nouns change gender from singular to plural: il dito → le dita; la mano → le mani; il braccio → le braccia.
  2. Some irregular plurals: l'uomo → gli uomini; la faccia → le facce; la pancia → le pance

Exercise 1: Il plurale dei sostantivi

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

nasi, piedi, bocche, mani, facce, braccia, occhi, gambe

1. Il braccio:
Le ...
(The arms)
2. L'occhio:
Gli ...
(The eyes)
3. Il naso:
I ...
(The noses)
4. Il piede:
I ...
(The feet)
5. La mano:
Le ...
(The hands)
6. La bocca:
Le ...
(The mouths)
7. La faccia:
Le ...
(The faces)
8. La gamba:
Le ...
(The legs)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Il mio naso è grande, ma i ____ dei bambini sono piccoli.

(My nose is big, but the ____ of children are small.)

2. La gamba dolorante diventa più facile da muovere quando le ____ sono forti.

(The sore leg becomes easier to move when the ____ are strong.)

3. Ho un piede dolorante, ma i ____ funzionano bene durante la camminata.

(I have a sore foot, but the ____ work well while walking.)

4. Il dito si è rotto, ma le ____ ora guariscono lentamente.

(The finger is broken, but the ____ now heal slowly.)

5. La mano destra è ferma, mentre le ____ lavorano insieme per scrivere.

(The right hand is still, while the ____ work together to write.)

6. L'uomo è stanco, ma gli ____ sono pronti per la riunione.

(The man is tired, but the ____ are ready for the meeting.)

Understanding Italian Plural Nouns

This lesson focuses on how to form plurals of nouns in Italian, a fundamental aspect of mastering the language at the A1 beginner level. You will learn the basic rules for changing singular nouns to their plural forms, including the role of articles that indicate whether a noun is singular or plural.

Basic Plural Rules

Italian nouns ending in -o, -a, and -e change their endings when forming the plural. Here are the typical patterns:

  • For nouns ending in -o, replace -o with -i. For example, Il naso (the nose) becomes I nasi.
  • For nouns ending in -a, replace -a with -e. For example, La gamba (the leg) becomes Le gambe.
  • For nouns ending in -e, change -e to -i. For example, Il piede (the foot) becomes I piedi.

Articles Show Number and Gender

The definite articles in Italian provide important clues to both the number and gender of nouns:

  • Il (singular masculine) changes to i (plural masculine).
  • La (singular feminine) changes to le (plural feminine).
  • Some masculine singular nouns beginning with a vowel use l' and change to gli in plural.

Irregular Plurals and Gender Changes

Some nouns are irregular or change gender when they become plural:

  • Il ditoLe dita (finger/fingers, masculine singular to feminine plural).
  • La manoLe mani (hand/hands, feminine singular to feminine plural).
  • Il braccioLe braccia (arm/arms, masculine singular to feminine plural).

Also, some plurals are irregular:

  • L'uomoGli uomini (man/men).
  • La facciaLe facce (face/faces).
  • La panciaLe pance (belly/bellies).

Key Vocabulary and Phrases

  • Naso (nose) – plural: nasi
  • Gamba (leg) – plural: gambe
  • Piede (foot) – plural: piedi
  • Dito (finger) – plural: dita
  • Mano (hand) – plural: mani
  • Uomo (man) – plural: uomini

Notes on Differences from English

Unlike English, which generally adds -s or -es to form plurals, Italian plurals often involve vowel changes at the end of the noun. Additionally, Italian nouns and their articles change to reflect not only number but also gender, which is not marked grammatically on English nouns in the same way.

For example, the nose in Italian is il naso, with il as the singular masculine article. The plural form is i nasi, where both the article and noun ending change. English does not change the article, only the noun to noses.

Some useful phrases to practice:

  • Il mio naso è grande – My nose is big.
  • Le gambe sono forti – The legs are strong.
  • I piedi funzionano bene – The feet work well.

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Fabio Pirioni

Bachelor in Humanities

University of Udine

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 04:00