The world is full of “things”, “stuff”, and other “things” . However, these generic terms won’t help you accurately describe something in a foreign language . When you can’t remember the exact name of an object, you have to use another way to refer to it. This is exactly what adjectives are for.
Having the most common adjectives in Italian at your disposal is a great resource when you run out of nouns on your travels in Italy and want to be able to say something other than “Hello, what time is it?” “in Italian “. Here is a guide that presents the most important Italian adjectives to know, illustrated with examples that will help you to use these different adjectives correctly, in Italian.
21 Italian adjectives you need to know
1. Altro/a – Other
Examples:
- Mi può portare un altro asciugamano, per favore? – Could I have another towel, please?
- Desidera qualcos’altro? – Can I get you something else?
2. Tanto/a – So much, so many
Examples:
Ma cosa faresti con così tanti soldi? “ What would you do with that much money?”
Ti auguro tanta felicità per l’anno che verrà! – I wish you a lot of happiness for this new year!
3. Poco – Few, not many
Examples:
- Normally mangio pochi carboidrati. – I normally eat few carbohydrates.
- Mi piacciono solo pocket cose. – I don’t like a lot of things.
4. Molto – A lot, very, very much
Examples :
- Mangiare molta frutta e verdura fa bene. – Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is good for your health.
- Luana la mattina ha semper molta fretta. – In the morning, Luana is always in (lit. has a lot of) the emergency.
5. Stesso/a – Even
Examples :
- Lo stesso tragitto – The same path
- Dobbiamo fare lo stesso tragitto. – We must leave (lit. do) in the same way.
- Dal lavoro a casa prito ogni sera lo stesso treno. “ I take the same train home from work every night.
6. Primo/a – First, first
Examples:
- The train for Milan at 7.55 am leaves from platform 1.
- Il primo tempo – The first half
7. Ogni – Each/All
Examples :
- Abbiamo lavorato ogni giorno. – We worked every day.
- A ogni morte di papa – Every thirty-sixth of the month (lit. “every time a pope dies”)
8. Tall – Tall, fat
Examples :
- La tavola non è abbastanza grande per otto persone. – The table is not large enough for eight people.
- He has a big nose. – He has a big nose.
9. Bello/a – Beautiful, beautiful
Examples :
- Non è molto bello ma è davvero simpatico! “He’s not very handsome, but he’s really nice!
- Per la gita abbiamo ottenuto un bello sconto. – We got a nice reduction for the trip.
10. Nuovo/a – New, new
Examples:
- Anno nuovo, vita nuova! – New year, new life!
- Un cappotto nuovo – A new coat
11. Certo/a – Certain, sure
Examples:
- Noto un certo disfattismo. – I notice a certain defeatism.
- The città vecchie hanno un certo fascino. – Old towns have a certain charm.
12. Vero/a – True
Examples:
- He’s a real techno fan.
- In May, the garden is a real marvel!
13. Buono/a – Good
Examples:
- This wine is as good as it is expensive.
- Exercise is good for the body and the mind.
14. Italiano/a – Italian(s)
Examples:
- Marco è italiano. – Marco is Italian.
- Mi piace qualche regista italiano. – I like some Italian directors.
15. Ultimo/a – Last, Last
Examples:
- It’s the last Wednesday of the month.
- Yes, I understand. I will take the last bus.
16. Vecchio/a – Old, old
Examples:
- Spero di diventare molto vecchio. – I hope I will become very old.
- The ho guardato aunt volte! Ma è un film vecchio, vero? – I’ve seen it so many times! But it’s an old movie, isn’t it?
17. Piccolo/a – Small
Examples :
- They are likely to offer (will offer) a small contribution.
- Il piccolo paese pittoresco ha solo venti abitanti. – The picturesque little village has only twenty inhabitants.
18. Giovane – Young
Examples :
- The groom looks very young.
- Our youngest roommate is 33 years old.
19. Alto/a – High, tall, high
Examples:
- Carlo is tall.
- This rent is not high.
20. Diverso/a – Different
Examples :
- It is possible to divide these variants into different families.
- It is normal that you and I have different ideas.
21. Lungo/a – Long, long
Examples :
- Un lungo viaggio – A long journey
- Infinite Jest di David Foster Wallace has oltre 1000 pages: è un libro lungo. – David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest is over 1,000 pages – it’s a long book.
