Formation of the Plural of Italian Nouns

Just like in English, nouns can be singular or plural.
The plural form in Italian, however, isn’t always as simple as adding an "-s" at the end of the word as in English.
Instead, the plural form of a noun usually involves changing the ending vowel.

If a feminine noun ends in “-a” in the singular, it ends in “-e” in the plural.

💬 Examples:
🇮🇹 la *bambina → le bambine
🇬🇧 the girl → the girls
🇮🇹 la *ragazza → le ragazze
🇬🇧 the girl → the girls
🇮🇹 la casa → le case
🇬🇧 the house → the houses
🇮🇹 la lettera → le lettere
🇬🇧 the letter → the letters

* Maybe, you were (just like us) wondering when to use which noun?
A “bambina” is a young female child, typically under the age of 12.
The noun “ragazza” refers to a girl or young woman from adolescence through early adulthood, and can also mean girlfriend.

🖋 Have a go now at applying the new rule:
Look for feminine nouns that end in “-a” in the singular and put them in the plural.

If a masculine noun ends in “-o” in the singular, it ends in “-i” in the plural.

💬 Examples:
🇮🇹 il bambino → i bambini
🇬🇧 the boy → the boys
🇮🇹 il ragazzo → i ragazzi
🇬🇧 the boy → the boys
🇮🇹 il libro→ i libri
🇬🇧 the book → the books
🇮🇹 l'albero → *gli alberi
🇬🇧 the tree → the trees

* Why do we find “gli” here - instead of “i” as the plural form of the definite article?
It’s because “albero” starts with a vowel.
Please go back to the chapter on building the plural form of the definite article in Italian, if you need to revise more examples.

🖋 Try the rule for yourself:
Look for masculine nouns that end in“-o” in the singular and put them in the plural.

If a noun ends in “-e” in the singular, it ends in “-i” in the plural.

💬 Examples:
🇮🇹 il pesce (m) → i pesci
🇬🇧 the fish → the fishes
🇮🇹 il pane (m) → i pani
🇬🇧 the bread → the bread loaves
🇮🇹 la torre (f) → le torri
🇬🇧 the tower → the towers
🇮🇹 la notte (f) → le notti
🇬🇧 the night → the nights

🖋 Please try to apply the new rule right now:
Look for nouns that end in “-e” in the singular and build their plural.

➠ Exceptions to the Formation of Plurals

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