Unit 79 Guidebook: describe people and things
KEY PHRASES
Describe people and things
Le mie scarpe sono nuove.
My shoes are new.
My shoes are new.
Dove sono le tue scarpe vecchie?
Where are your old shoes?
Where are your old shoes?
I miei fratelli sono alti.
My brothers are tall.
My brothers are tall.
Io sono basso.
I am short.
I am short.
Mia sorella è famosa.
My sister is famous.
My sister is famous.
La borsa è pesante.
The bag is heavy.
The bag is heavy.
TIP
Adjectives
Unlike in English, in Italian, adjectives usually come after the noun they're describing.
Dove sono le tue scarpe vecchie?
Where are your old shoes?
Where are your old shoes?
La zuppa ha un gusto strano.
The soup has a strange taste.
The soup has a strange taste.
Adjectives also change their endings depending on the noun they go with.
| singular | plural |
|---|---|
| il ragazzo alto | i ragazzi alti |
| la ragazza alta | le ragazze alte |
TIP
Un buon cane
We've seen that in Italian most adjectives follow the noun they're describing. There are a few adjectives, though, that can come either before or after the noun. Nuovo is one of these.
È il divano nuovo.
It is the new couch.
It is the new couch.
Ho un nuovo paio di calze.
I have a new pair of stockings.
I have a new pair of stockings.
Another example is buono, but there's one little thing you need to remember. When buono comes before a noun, it drops the final ‑o and it becomes buon.
È un cane buono.
It is a good dog.
It is a good dog.
È un buon cane.
It is a good dog.
It is a good dog.
TIP
Caro mio
Here's one more Italian word with two meanings! Caro means both expensive and dear.
Il vestito rosso non è caro.
The red dress is not expensive.
The red dress is not expensive.
Ciao, mio caro.
Hello, my dear.
Hello, my dear.