Noun genders: special cases
Reminder: many nouns change from masculine to feminine by changing the final vowel: -o/-e (masculine) → -a (feminine).
il gatto (♂) → la gatta (♀)
the cat (male) → the cat (female)
il signore (♂) → la signora (♀)
the gentleman → the lady
There are, however, some special cases, for example:
| MASCULINE | FEMININE | OTHER EXAMPLES |
|---|---|---|
| attore (male actor) | attrice (female actor) | lo sciatore → la sciatrice (the male skier → the female skier); lo scrittore → la scrittrice (the male writer → the female writer) |
avvocato (male attorney) leone (lion) poeta (male poet) | avvocatessa (female attorney) leonessa (lioness) poetessa (female poet) | il soldato → la soldatessa (the male soldier → the female soldier) il campione → la campionessa (the male champion → the female champion); il dottore → la dottoressa (the male doctor → the female doctor) il duca → la duchessa (the duke → the duchess) |
| difensore (male defender) | difenditrice (female defender) | il possessore/posseditore → la posseditrice (the male owner → the female owner) |
| gallo (rooster) eroe (hero) | gallina (hen) eroina (heroine) | lo zar → la zarina (the tsar → the tsarina) |
- Some nouns are entirely different in their masculine and feminine forms.
la moglie → il marito; il genero → la nuora; il fratello → la sorella; il maiale → la scrofa
the wife → the husband; the son-in-law → the daughter-in-law; the brother → the sister; the boar → the sow.
- Some nouns are the same in both their masculine and feminine forms, in which case the gender is indicated by the preceding article or context.
il/la cantante; il/la giornalista; l'insegnante
the singer; the journalist; the teacher.
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