Italian Grammar - Adjectives

Adjectives

In Italian, an adjective can be before or after the noun. Placing the adjective after the noun can alter its meaning or indicate restrictiveness of reference; the unmarked placement for most adjectives (e.g. colours, nationalities) is after the noun. If a noun has many adjectives, usually not more than one will be before the noun. When there is possibility to choose, the second word is the more important, so if the adjective is after the noun, it is more emphasized:

• un buon uomo = a good man (nothing special, a good man)
• un uomo buono = a good man, a man that is good (it is important that he is good, the adjective is emphasized)

Adjectives are inflected by gender and number: