Describing & Placing
Who, what, where and what does it look like?
The world of the story
Stories come to life through descriptions. What do the characters look like? Where does everything take place? With these words you can picture the world of the story.
Adjectives, prepositions and family words create the background where the action happens. These elements make the difference between a dry list of events and a vivid, colourful story.
Chapter
10
Adjectives & Descriptions
Colour, character and qualities
Italian adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun. They usually come after the noun, but some common ones come before it.
Adjective agreement
Most adjectives have four forms, depending on gender and singular/plural:
💡 Tips
- Adjectives ending in -o have four forms (o/a/i/e).
- Adjectives ending in -e have only two forms (e/i) for both genders.
- Make sure the adjective always agrees with the noun in gender and number.
alto = tall / high
alto
(masculine singular)
→
un ragazzo alto
= a tall boy
alta
(feminine singular)
→
una ragazza alta
= a tall girl
alti
(masculine plural)
→
ragazzi alti
= tall boys
alte
(feminine plural)
→
ragazze alte
= tall girls
felice = happy
felice
(masculine/feminine singular)
→
un bambino felice
= a happy child
felici
(masculine/feminine plural)
→
bambini felici
= happy children
Common adjectives
💡 Tips
- Some adjectives can come before or after the noun with a change of meaning: *un vecchio amico* = a long-time friend, *un amico vecchio* = a friend who is old.
- Adjectives like “bello” and “buono” often change their form depending on gender and the first letter of the next word: un buon amico, una bella casa.
grande
→
big / large
Before or after
una casa grande
-
a big house
piccolo
→
small
Before or after
un piccolo problema
-
a small problem
bello
→
beautiful / nice
Usually before
una bella giornata
-
a beautiful day
buono
→
good / tasty
Usually before
un buon amico
-
a good friend
nuovo
→
new
After
scarpe nuove
-
new shoes
vecchio
→
old / former
Before = long-time, after = old in age
un vecchio amico
-
an old / long-time friend
giovane
→
young
After
una donna giovane
-
a young woman
caro
→
dear / expensive
Before = dear, after = expensive
un caro amico
-
a dear friend
povero
→
poor
Before = to be pitied, after = without money
Povero Marco!
-
Poor Marco!
stesso
→
same
Before
lo stesso giorno
-
the same day
altro
→
other / another
Before
un altro giorno
-
another day
lungo
→
long
After
una strada lunga
-
a long street
corto
→
short
After
capelli corti
-
short hair
facile
→
easy
After
un esercizio facile
-
an easy exercise
difficile
→
difficult
After
una domanda difficile
-
a difficult question
Colours
Note: some colours change, others do not.
💡 Tips
- Colours like “blu”, “rosa” and “viola” do not change their form.
- Colours ending in -e have only singular and plural forms.
- Some colour words are also nouns: *il rosso* = red (colour), *il verde* = green.
rosso
Nederlands
red
Verandert?
yes
Vormen
rosso/rossa/rossi/rosse
giallo
Nederlands
yellow
Verandert?
yes
Vormen
giallo/gialla/gialli/gialle
verde
Nederlands
green
Verandert?
partly
Vormen
verde/verdi
blu
Nederlands
blue
Verandert?
no
Vormen
blu (always)
azzurro
Nederlands
light blue
Verandert?
yes
Vormen
azzurro/azzurra/azzurri/azzurre
nero
Nederlands
black
Verandert?
yes
Vormen
nero/nera/neri/nere
bianco
Nederlands
white
Verandert?
yes
Vormen
bianco/bianca/bianchi/bianche
grigio
Nederlands
grey
Verandert?
yes
Vormen
grigio/grigia/grigi/grigie
marrone
Nederlands
brown
Verandert?
partly
Vormen
marrone/marroni
rosa
Nederlands
pink
Verandert?
no
Vormen
rosa (always)
viola
Nederlands
purple
Verandert?
no
Vormen
viola (always)
arancione
Nederlands
orange
Verandert?
partly
Vormen
arancione/arancioni
Personality traits
💡 Tips
- Many personality adjectives end in -o or -e and follow the usual rules for adjectives.
- Some adjectives (like “simpatico”) change to -ci or -chi in the plural: *simpatici, antipatici*.
- Use context to decide if a word is positive or negative: “furbo” can mean clever or sly.
simpatico
→
nice / friendly
antipatico
→
unpleasant
gentile
→
kind
scortese
→
rude
intelligente
→
intelligent
stupido
→
stupid
divertente
→
funny / entertaining
noioso
→
boring
allegro
→
cheerful
triste
→
sad
calmo
→
calm
nervoso
→
nervous
coraggioso
→
brave
pauroso
→
fearful
generoso
→
generous
avaro
→
stingy
onesto
→
honest
disonesto
→
dishonest
paziente
→
patient
impaziente
→
impatient
Physical descriptions
💡 Tips
- Use “avere” (to have) for hair and eye colour: *ha i capelli castani*.
- Use “essere” (to be) for height and build: *è alto, è magro*.
- For age you use “avere”: *ho vent’anni* = I am twenty years old.
Ha i capelli biondi
→
He/She has blond hair
Ha gli occhi azzurri
→
He/She has blue eyes
È alto e magro
→
He is tall and thin
È bassa e robusta
→
She is short and strong-built
Ha la barba
→
He has a beard
Porta gli occhiali
→
He/She wears glasses
Ha un bel sorriso
→
He/She has a nice smile
È di media statura
→
He/She is of average height
Ha circa trent'anni
→
He/She is about thirty years old
Sembra giovane
→
He/She looks young
Chapter
11
Prepositions & Location
Where everything is
Prepositions are small but crucial. They tell you where things are, where people are going, and how elements relate to each other.
Basic prepositions
💡 Tips
- Use “a” for cities, times and people: *a Roma, alle tre, a Maria*.
- Use “in” for countries, regions, transport and seasons: *in Italia, in treno, in estate*.
- “Da” means from somebody, at somebody’s place or since: *vengo da Marco, dal medico, da due anni*.
- “Su” can mean “on” or “about”: *sul tavolo* / *un libro su Roma*.
- “Tra” and “fra” are interchangeable; both mean “between” or “in (time)”.
a = to / at / in
Vado a Roma
→
I go to Rome
Sono a casa
→
I am at home
Alle tre
→
At three o’clock
di = of / from
Il libro di Marco
→
Marco’s book
Sono di Milano
→
I am from Milan
Una tazza di caffè
→
A cup of coffee
da = from / at (someone’s) / since
Vengo da te
→
I am coming to your place
Dal medico
→
At the doctor’s
Da ieri
→
Since yesterday
in = in
In Italia
→
In Italy
In macchina
→
In the car
In estate
→
In summer
con = with
Con Maria
→
With Maria
Con piacere
→
With pleasure
Caffè con latte
→
Coffee with milk
su = on / about
Sul tavolo
→
On the table
Un libro su Roma
→
A book about Rome
Su internet
→
On the internet
per = for / through / in order to
Per te
→
For you
Per strada
→
In the street / on the way
Per favore
→
Please
tra / fra = between / in (time)
Tra amici
→
Among friends
Tra cinque minuti
→
In five minutes
Tra Roma e Milano
→
Between Rome and Milan
Combined prepositions
Prepositions merge with the article that follows:
💡 Tips
- Many prepositions fuse with the article that follows: a + il → al, di + la → della, and so on.
- The same happens in the plural: a + i → ai, in + i → nei.
- With words that begin with a vowel you get forms like: a + l' → all', di + l' → dell'.
a + il
→
al
Voorbeeld
Vado al cinema
Vertaling
I am going to the cinema
a + la
→
alla
Voorbeeld
alla stazione
Vertaling
to the station
a + l'
→
all'
Voorbeeld
all'università
Vertaling
to the university
a + i
→
ai
Voorbeeld
ai bambini
Vertaling
to the children
a + le
→
alle
Voorbeeld
alle ragazze
Vertaling
to the girls
di + il
→
del
Voorbeeld
la casa del professore
Vertaling
the teacher’s house
di + la
→
della
Voorbeeld
il libro della studentessa
Vertaling
the student’s book
da + il
→
dal
Voorbeeld
vengo dal dottore
Vertaling
I come from the doctor
da + la
→
dalla
Voorbeeld
dalla finestra
Vertaling
from/out of the window
in + il
→
nel
Voorbeeld
nel giardino
Vertaling
in the garden
in + la
→
nella
Voorbeeld
nella borsa
Vertaling
in the bag
su + il
→
sul
Voorbeeld
sul letto
Vertaling
on the bed
su + la
→
sulla
Voorbeeld
sulla sedia
Vertaling
on the chair
Location words
💡 Tips
- Words like “davanti”, “dietro”, “accanto” and “vicino” usually take “a”: davanti a, vicino a.
- “Qui” and “qua” both mean “here”; “lì” and “là” both mean “there” – the difference is small (qua/là often a bit more vague).
- Use “da” after “lontano”: *lontano da casa* = far from home.
qui / qua
→
here
Vieni qui!
=
Come here!
lì / là
→
there
Il libro è là
=
The book is there
sopra
→
above / on
sopra il tavolo
=
on the table
sotto
→
under
sotto il letto
=
under the bed
dentro
→
inside
dentro la scatola
=
inside the box
fuori
→
outside
fuori casa
=
outside the house
davanti (a)
→
in front of
davanti alla porta
=
in front of the door
dietro (a)
→
behind
dietro la casa
=
behind the house
accanto (a)
→
next to
accanto a me
=
next to me
vicino (a)
→
near
vicino alla stazione
=
near the station
lontano (da)
→
far (from)
lontano da qui
=
far from here
verso
→
towards
verso il centro
=
towards the centre
fino a
→
up to / until
fino alla fine
=
until the end
attraverso
→
through / across
attraverso il parco
=
through the park
Common locations in stories
💡 Tips
- After “a” and “in” you sometimes use an article and sometimes not – you must learn each expression individually.
- With fixed places you often use “a” (a casa, a scuola) and with more general spaces “in” (in città, in banca).
- Use “da” for people: dal dottore, dal parrucchiere, da Maria.
a casa
→
at home
No article
a scuola
→
at school
No article
al lavoro
→
at work
With article
in centro
→
in the centre
No article
in città
→
in the city
No article
in campagna
→
in the countryside
No article
al mare
→
at the seaside
With article
in montagna
→
in the mountains
No article
all'estero
→
abroad
With article
in chiesa
→
in church
No article
in banca
→
at the bank
No article
dal medico
→
at the doctor’s
For people: use da
in ospedale
→
in hospital
No article
alla stazione
→
at the station
With article
Chapter
12
Family & People
The characters in the story
Family and relationships are central themes in Italian stories. These words help you understand who is who.
Close family
Important: with singular family members you normally do NOT use an article with the possessive!
💡 Tips
- Do not use an article with singular family members: *mio padre, mia sorella*.
- Use an article with plurals or nicknames: *i miei genitori, la mia mamma*.
- With family names use “da”: *vado da mia sorella* = I’m going to my sister’s place.
il padre
→
father
mio padre
=
my father
la madre
→
mother
mia madre
=
my mother
il figlio
→
son
mio figlio
=
my son
la figlia
→
daughter
mia figlia
=
my daughter
il fratello
→
brother
mio fratello
=
my brother
la sorella
→
sister
mia sorella
=
my sister
il marito
→
husband
mio marito
=
my husband
la moglie
→
wife
mia moglie
=
my wife
i genitori
→
parents
i miei genitori
=
my parents
i figli
→
children
i miei figli
=
my children
i fratelli
→
brothers / siblings
i miei fratelli
=
my brothers / my siblings
il papà
→
dad
il mio papà
=
my dad
With article!
la mamma
→
mum/mom
la mia mamma
=
my mum / my mom
With article!
Extended family
💡 Tips
- “Nipote” can mean grandchild or nephew/niece – context tells you which.
- “Cugino / cugina” is used for cousins of the same generation.
- “I suoceri” means parents-in-law – a common plural form.
il nonno
grandfather
Meervoud
i nonni
→
grandparents / grandfathers
la nonna
grandmother
Meervoud
le nonne
→
grandmothers
lo zio
uncle
Meervoud
gli zii
→
uncles / aunts and uncles
la zia
aunt
Meervoud
le zie
→
aunts
il nipote
grandson / nephew
masculine
la nipote
granddaughter / niece
feminine
il cugino
male cousin
Meervoud
i cugini
→
cousins (mixed or all male)
la cugina
female cousin
Meervoud
le cugine
→
female cousins
il suocero
father-in-law
Meervoud
i suoceri
→
parents-in-law
la suocera
mother-in-law
Meervoud
le suocere
→
mothers-in-law
il genero
son-in-law
Meervoud
i generi
→
sons-in-law
la nuora
daughter-in-law
Meervoud
le nuore
→
daughters-in-law
il cognato
brother-in-law
Meervoud
i cognati
→
brothers-in-law
la cognata
sister-in-law
Meervoud
le cognate
→
sisters-in-law
Relationships & social connections
💡 Tips
- Many words for people are gendered only by the article: *il / la collega*.
- “Ragazzo” and “ragazza” can mean “boy/girl” or “boyfriend/girlfriend” – context tells you which.
- “Compagno / compagna” can also mean “partner” or “classmate”.
Mannelijk
l'amico
→
friend (male)
Vrouwelijk
l'amica
→
friend (female)
Mannelijk
il fidanzato
→
fiancé / boyfriend
Vrouwelijk
la fidanzata
→
fiancée / girlfriend
Mannelijk
il ragazzo
→
boy / boyfriend
Vrouwelijk
la ragazza
→
girl / girlfriend
Mannelijk
il compagno
→
partner / companion
Vrouwelijk
la compagna
→
partner / companion
Mannelijk
il collega
→
colleague
Vrouwelijk
la collega
→
colleague
Mannelijk
il vicino
→
neighbour (male)
Vrouwelijk
la vicina
→
neighbour (female)
Mannelijk
il conoscente
→
acquaintance (male)
Vrouwelijk
la conoscente
→
acquaintance (female)
Mannelijk
il capo
→
boss
Mannelijk
l'ospite
→
guest / host
Mannelijk
lo straniero
→
foreigner (male)
Vrouwelijk
la straniera
→
foreigner (female)
Professions
💡 Tips
- Professions ending in -ista or -e often do not change in the feminine: *il / la giornalista, l’artista*.
- Some professions have a special feminine form: *il professore → la professoressa*.
- Often you can say “Sono medico” or “Sono un medico”; both are possible, depending on nuance.
Mannelijk
il medico
→
doctor
Mannelijk
l'insegnante
→
teacher
Mannelijk
il professore
→
professor / male teacher
Vrouwelijk
la professoressa
→
female professor / teacher
Mannelijk
lo studente
→
student (male)
Vrouwelijk
la studentessa
→
student (female)
Mannelijk
l'avvocato
→
lawyer
Vrouwelijk
l'avvocatessa
→
female lawyer
Mannelijk
il cameriere
→
waiter
Vrouwelijk
la cameriera
→
waitress
Mannelijk
il commesso
→
shop assistant (male)
Vrouwelijk
la commessa
→
shop assistant (female)
Mannelijk
l'operaio
→
worker (male)
Vrouwelijk
l'operaia
→
worker (female)
Mannelijk
l'impiegato
→
office worker (male)
Vrouwelijk
l'impiegata
→
office worker (female)
Mannelijk
il poliziotto
→
police officer (male)
Vrouwelijk
la poliziotta
→
police officer (female)
Mannelijk
il cuoco
→
cook (male)
Vrouwelijk
la cuoca
→
cook (female)
Mannelijk
l'autista
→
driver
Mannelijk
il giornalista
→
journalist (male)
Vrouwelijk
la giornalista
→
journalist (female)
Mannelijk
l'artista
→
artist
Talking about age
💡 Tips
- In Italian you literally say “I have 20 years”: *ho vent’anni*.
- “Grande” can mean “big” or “older” depending on context: *mio fratello è grande* = my brother is older (than me).
- For age always use “avere”, not “essere”: *ho 30 anni*, not *sono 30 anni*.
Ho venti anni
→
I am twenty years old
(literally: I have twenty years)
Quanti anni hai?
→
How old are you?
(literally: how many years do you have?)
un bambino di 5 anni
→
a 5-year-old child
È più grande di me
→
He/She is older than me
È più giovane di te
→
He/She is younger than you
Abbiamo la stessa età
→
We are the same age
un uomo anziano
→
an old man
una donna di mezza età
→
a middle-aged woman
un adolescente
→
a teenager
un neonato
→
a newborn baby