175 Common Italian Adjectives to Describe Anything (FREE PDF + QUIZ)

1.9K

Do you ever feel stuck when trying to describe something in Italian? Whether it’s the perfect plate of pasta or a stunning view, adjectives are the secret to being able to express yourself. In this lesson, I’ll teach you everything you need to know to confidently describe the world around you—in flawless Italian!

By the end of this guide, you’ll understand the rules for using adjectives in Italian, including gender and number agreement, word order, and tricky exceptions. Plus, you’ll learn 175 essential Italian adjectives to describe people, places, food, and more, with confidence and flair!

But here’s the twist: Did you know that simply changing the position of an adjective in Italian can completely alter its meaning? Stick around to learn this game-changing secret and take your Italian to the next level!

But first, make sure to download your free PDF cheat-sheet, which includes all the key points we’ll cover in this guide. Just enter your email below and I’ll send it to you straight away.

---

Table to Contents

Here’s what we’ll cover in this guide. Click on any title to jump to each section.

• What are adjectives
• Gender and number agreement of Italian adjectives
  • Adjectives ending in -o
  • Adjectives ending in -e
  • Adjectives ending in -a
  • Invariable adjectives
• Word order for Italian adjectives
  • When placement changes meaning
  • Adjectives that must follow the noun
  • Fixed expressions
• Irregular forms of Italian adjectives
• 175 Italian adjectives to describe anything
• Test your skills! Take the quiz!

---

What are adjectives?

Adjectives are words that describe or add detail to nouns. Take this example:

• Questo film è avventuroso – This movie is adventurous → Here, both questo (this) and avventuroso (adventurous) are adjectives: questo tells us which movie the speaker is talking about, and avventuroso describes what kind of movie it is.

In Italian, adjectives fall into two main categories, depending on what they add to the noun:

1. Qualifying adjectives give us details about the qualities or characteristics of a noun. Think of words like morbido (soft) or colorato (colourful).

2. Determining adjectives make the noun more specific; they are divided into five main groups:

• Demonstrative adjectives point to specific things or people, like questo (this) or quello (that).
• Possessive adjectives show ownership, like mia (my) or nostra (our). Check out myguide on Italian possessive adjectives for more on this!
• Indefinite adjectives describe nouns in a generic way, such as qualche (some), poco (little)alcuni (a few).
• Numerals tell us exact quantities, like sette anni (seven years) or quinto mese (fifth month).
• Interrogative and exclamative adjectives introduce questions or exclamations, such as Quale (Which), Quanti (How many).

In this guide, we will be focusing on qualifying adjectives.

Gender and number agreement of Italian adjectives

Unlike English, where adjectives stay the same regardless of gender or number, Italian adjectives must match the gender (masculine or feminine) and the number (singular or plural) of the nouns they describe. So, you would say:

• Una borsa rossa – A red bag → Here, borsa (bag) is feminine and singular, so the adjective rossa (red) also needs to be feminine and singular.
• I libri rossi – The red books → Since libri (books) is masculine and plural, rossi (red) must also be in the masculine, plural form.

When an adjective refers to multiple nouns, there are different scenarios:

Two masculine nouns = masculine plural adjective

• Il divano e il tavolo sono vecchi – The sofa and the table are old

Two feminine nouns = feminine plural adjective

• La mela e la pera sono mature – The apple and the pear are ripe

Two nouns from the same category = singular adjective matching the last noun

• Domani ho l’esame di lingua e letteratura spagnola – Tomorrow I have the Spanish language and literature exam → Here, lingua (language) and letteratura (literature) are both subjects of study

Nouns of different genders = masculine plural adjective

• Suo fratello e sua sorella sono molto simpatici – His brother and sister are very nice → Fratello (brother) is masculine, while sorella (sister) is feminine

Now that you know the basics, let’s explore the exceptions! Some Italian qualifying adjectives follow their own unique rules for agreeing with nouns.

Italian adjectives ending in -o

Many Italian adjectives end in -o in their base form andcan have four different endings depending on the noun they describe. Let’s take a closer look using the adjective piccolo (small):

Examples:

• Questo letto è piccolo – This bed is small (masculine singular)
• I bambini sono ancora piccoli – The children are still small (masculine plural)
• Ho una casa piccola – I have a small house (feminine singular)
• Hai delle mani piccole – You have small hands (feminine plural)

Here are some other common Italian adjectives that end in -o:

• Buono – good
• Bello– nice
• Bravo – good, skilled
• Cattivo – bad
• Simpatico – nice, pleasant
• Timido – shy
• Famoso – famous
• Noioso – boring

Attenzione! Adjectives that end in -co and -go form the plural by adding an -h before the plural ending to keep the “hard” sound of the c or g. So, for instance:

• Stanco (tired) becomes stanchiin the masculine plural and stanche in the feminine plural.
• Largo (wide) becomes larghi in the masculine plural and larghe in the feminine plural.

Italian adjectives ending in -e

Adjectives ending in -ehave just two endings: -e for the singular (used for both masculine and feminine) and -i for the plural (also the same for both genders). Here’s how it works with the adjective interessante (interesting):

Examples:

• Ho letto un libro interessante – I read an interesting book (masculine singular)
• Mi hanno raccontato una storia interessante – I’ve been told an interesting story (feminine singular)
• Hai degli amici interessanti – You have interesting friends (masculine plural)
• Abbiamo ricevuto alcune proposte interessanti – We received some interesting proposals (feminine plural)

Other common adjectives ending in -e:

• Forte– strong
• Intelligente – intelligent
• Grande – large, big
• Divertente – fun
• Gentile – kind
• Importante – important
• Facile – easy

Italian adjectives ending in -a

Adjectives ending in -a are a bit different. In the singular form, they stay the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. However, in the plural, they change to -i for masculine and to -e for feminine. Here’s a chart using the adjective egoista (selfish):

Examples:

• Non ho mai conosciuto un ragazzo egoista come lui – I’ve never met a more selfish guy than him (masculine singular).
• Claudia è una persona egoista – Claudia is a selfish person (feminine singular).
• È vero che i figli unici sono egoisti? – Is it true that only children are selfish? (masculine plural).
• Le tue sorelle sono egoiste – Your sisters are selfish (feminine plural).

Other common adjectives ending in -a:

• Altruista– generous
• Entusiasta– enthusiastic
• Pessimista – pessimistic
• Ottimista – optimistic
• Ipocrita– hypocritical
• Idiota– stupid

Invariable adjectives in Italian

Finally, some Italian adjectives stick to just one form, no matter what they’re describing. Here are the 8 kinds of invariable adjectives:

Adjectives ending in -i, such as:

• pari – even, as in numbers
• dispari – odd, as in numbers
• impari – uneven

Certain fixed adjectives like:

• arrosto – roasted
• avvenire – upcoming (it can also be spelled as a venire)

Some colours in Italian:

• blu – blue
• rosa – pink
• viola – purple
• lilla – lilac
• fucsia – fuchsia
• amaranto – maroon
• indaco – indigo

Colours in compound expressions, like:

• grigio topo – mouse grey
• verde acqua – aqua green
• rosso ciliegia – cherry red

Adjectives formed from a verb and a noun, like:

• ficcanaso – nosy
• mozzafiato – breathtaking

Compound adjectives ending in -bene, -modo, or -poco like:

• perbene – respectable
• dappoco – incompetent, worthless (it can also be spelled as da poco)

Adjectives formed from the prefix anti- followed by a noun, such as:

• antigelo – anti-freeze
• antinebbia – anti-fog

Adjectives of foreign origin like:

• snob
• démodé – old-fashioned, out-of-date
• chic

Examples:

• Quel vestito blu non sta bene con le scarpe verde acqua – That blue dress doesn’t look good with the aqua green shoes.
• Sandra e Giulia sono proprio delle persone perbene – Sandra and Giulia are truly respectable people.
• I mesi avvenire saranno molto difficili – The upcoming months will be very difficult.
• Non esagerare, bastano due polli arrosto! – Don’t overdo it, two roasted chickens are enough!

Position of adjectives in Italian sentences: where do they go and why does it matter?

In Italian sentence structure, the general rule is that adjectives follow the noun they describe – different from English, where adjectives come first. So, you’ll have sentences like:

• Una torta squisita – A delicious cake
• Un elettricista esperto – An experienced electrician

But, as with many rules, there are exceptions! Sometimes adjectives are used before the noun to add emphasis. Let’s see an example:

• Bello, il vestito che ti sei comprata! – Literally, “Beautiful, the dress you bought!” → This structure, with bello before the noun, highlights the speaker’s enthusiasm, making the compliment feel more genuine and expressive. Normally, you’d say, Il vestito che ti sei comprata è bello (The dress you bought is beautiful).

When the placement of an adjective changes its meaning

In some cases, the meaning of an adjective changes depending on where it’s placed in the sentence. If it follows the noun, the meaning is often literal, while placing it before the noun usually gives a figurative meaning. Let’s break down some common examples:

Alto/a

• Un funzionario alto – A tall official (as in physical height)
• Un alto funzionario – A high-ranking official (figuratively “high” in status)

Grosso/a

• Un cantante grosso – A big singer (as in physically large)
• Un grosso cantante – An important singer (a “big name” in music)

Vecchio/a

• Una amica vecchia – An old friend (in age)
• Una vecchia amica – An old friend (as in a friend you’ve known forever)

Grande

• Un grande libro– An important book (significant or influential)
• Un libro grande– A large book (physically big)

Nuovo/a

• Una nuova auto– A new car (a recent purchase)
• L’auto nuova della Fiat – The latest model (fresh off the assembly line)

Bello/a

• Delle scarpebelle – Some nice shoes (nice-looking)
• Delle belle scarpe – Some nice shoes (good quality)

Buono/a

• Una buona amica – A true friend (good in quality of friendship)
• Una amica buona – A kind friend (good-hearted)

Cattivo/a

• Un cattivo insegnante – A poor teacher (not skilled)
• Un insegnante cattivo – A mean teacher (bad character)

Brutto/a

• Un brutto vestito– An ugly dress (not visually appealing)
• Un vestito brutto – A poorly chosen dress (the worst choice of dresses)

Certe

• Certe dichiarazioni– Some declarations (general, unspecified statements)
• Dichiarazioni certe – Reliable declarations (statements you can trust)

Diverso/a

• Leggo diverse riviste – I read many magazines (focus on quantity)
• Leggo riviste diverse – I read different magazines (variety in types)

Semplice

• Una considerazione semplice – A straightforward consideration (clear and uncomplicated)
• Una semplice considerazione – Just a thought (a casual observation, no big deal)

Povero

• Un povero ragazzo – A poor boy (as in “poor thing!”)
• Un ragazzo povero – A poor boy (who isn’t wealthy)

Adjectives that must follow the noun

There are specific cases when an adjective must follow the noun:

When the adjective has a prefix or suffix

• Un cane piccolino – A little dog
• Una riunione bisettimanale – A biweekly meeting

When the adjective needs a complement to complete its meaning

• Un armadio pieno di vestiti – A closet full of clothes
• Una persona privo di scrupoli – A person without scruples

When the adjective derives from a present or past participle

• Una festa divertente – An entertaining party (divertente is the present participle of divertire , meaning “to entertain”)
• Il cibo scaduto – The expired food (scaduto is the past participle of scadere, meaning “to expire”)

When the adjective derives directly from a noun

• Un carattere solare – a sunny personality (from sole – sun)
• La stagione autunnale – the fall season (from autunno – fall)

When adjectives show nationality

• La città austriaca – The Austrian city
• La cucina italiana – The Italian cuisine

When adjectives describe material, colour or shape

• Un tavolo quadrato – A square table
• Una sciarpa gialla – A yellow scarf

When adjectives indicate position or location

• Il braccio sinistro – The left arm
• La sede centrale – The central office

Fixed expressions

Finally, there are some expressions where the adjective always goes before the noun. These phrases have unique meanings and wouldn’t make much sense if you change the word order.

• Il gentil sesso – lit. the fairer sex (women)
• La bella vita – lit. the good life (enjoying life’s finer things)
• Il bel mondo – lit. the nice world (high society)
• Il Nuovo Mondo – lit. the new world (the Americas)
• Le buone maniere – lit. the good manners (social etiquette)

Irregular forms of Italian adjectives

The Italian adjectives bello (nice), buono (good) and grande (big) change their ending based on the initial letter of the word that follows them:

*The form belli also exists, but it’s only used after the noun it describes, for example: Quel negozio vende degli zaini belli (That shop sells nice backpacks).

Examples:

• Che bell’idea andare al mare questo fine settimana! – What a great idea to go to the beach this weekend!
• Gianni è davvero un grand’uomo, sempre pronto ad aiutare chiunque – Gianni is truly a great man, always ready to help anyone.”
• Questa mattina ci vuole proprio un buon caffè! – This morning, we really need a good coffee!
• Ci sono dei bei giochi per i bambini al parco – There are some nice games for kids at the park

Did you know that buono (good) and bello (nice) can convey various meanings in Italian? To learn more, check out my guides: one on how to say “good” in Italian and another that explains the difference between bello, buono, bene and bravo!

175 Italian adjectives to describe anything

Ready to expand your Italian vocabulary? Let’s learn some of the most used Italian adjectives that you’ll find super useful in your everyday conversations.

Italian adjectives to describe weather and temperature

1. Afoso/a– muggy
2. Caldo/a– hot
3. Freddo/a– cold
4. Fresco/a – cool
5. Gelido/a – freezing
6. Nevoso/a– snowy
7. Nebbioso/a – foggy
8. Nuvoloso/a– cloudy
9. Piovoso/a – rainy
10. Secco/a – dry
11. Sereno/a – clear
12. Soleggiato/a– sunny
13. Umido/a– humid
14. Ventoso/a– windy

Italian adjectives to describe a person’s physical traits

15. Abbronzato/a– tanned
16. Alto/a – tall
17. Atletico/a – athletic
18. Basso/a – short
19. Biondo/a – blonde
20. Calvo/a – bald
21. Castano/a – brown-haired
22. Depilato/a – hairless (or shaved)
23. Giovane – young
24. Grasso/a – fat
25. In forma – healthy, in good shape
26. Magro/a – thin
27. Moro/a – dark-haired
28. Paffutello/a – chubby
29. Pallido/a – pale
30. Rasato/a – shaved
31. Robusto/a – robust, sturdy
32. Snello/a – slender
33. Vecchio/a – old

Italian adjectives to describe a person’s character, style, or personality

34. Adorabile – adorable
35. Allegro/a – cheerful
36. Ambizioso/a – ambitious
37. Amichevole – friendly
38. Annoiato/a – bored
39. Arrabbiato/a – angry
40. Calmo/a – calm
41. Comico/a – funny, comical
42. Contento/ – glad, pleased
43. Deluso/a – disappointed
44. Depresso/a – depressed
45. Determinato/a – determined
46. Disperato/a – desperate
47. Disponibile – available
48. Divertente – fun, entertaining
49. Egoista – selfish
50. Entusiasta – enthusiastic
51. Fedele – loyal, faithful
52. Felice – happy
53. Fidato/a – trustworthy, reliable
54. Generoso/a – generous
55. Gentile – kind, nice
56. Goffo/a – clumsy
57. Interessante – interesting
58. Lento/a – slow
59. Lunatico/a – moody
60. Noioso/a – boring
61. Obbediente – obedient
62. Onesto/a – honest
63. Ottimista – optimistic
64. Permaloso/a – touchy, easily offended
65. Pessimista – pessimistic
66. Pigro/a – lazy
67. Povero/a – poor
68. Preoccupato/a – worried
69. Rapido/a – fast, quick
70. Ricco/a – rich
71. Romantico/a – romantic
72. Saggio/a – wise
73. Scorbutico/a – grumpy, surly
74. Scortese – rude
75. Sensibile – sensitive
76. Socievole – sociable
77. Solitario/a – solitary
78. Solo/a – alone, lonely
79. Testardo/a – stubborn
80. Timido/a – shy
81. Tranquillo/a – peaceful, quiet
82. Triste – sad
83. Umile – humble
84. Viziato/a – spoiled

Italian adjectives to describe food

85. Acerbo/a– sour or unripe
86. Acido/a – acidic or sour
87. Amaro/a – bitter or unsweetened
88. Aromatico/a – aromatic
89. Aspro/a – sour, as in a lemon
90. Bollente – boiling or hot (temperature)
91. Buono/a – good
92. Caldo/a – hot (temperature)
93. Cremoso/a – creamy
94. Croccante – crunchy
95. Delizioso/a – delicious
96. Dolce – sweet
97. Duro/a– hard
98. Freddo/a – cold
99. Insipido/a – bland or tasteless
100. Maturo/a – ripe
101. Salato/a – salty
102. Saporito/a – savory
103. Secco/a – dry
104. Gustoso/a – tasty
105. Pepato/a – peppery
106. Piccante – spicy
107. Scondito/a – bland or unseasoned
108. Scotto/a – overcooked
109. Speziato/a – spiced, seasoned
110. Tenero/a – tender
111. Zuccherato/a – sugary or sweetened

Italian adjectives to describe objects and places

112. Antico/a – ancient, old
113. Caro/a – dear, expensive
114. Costoso/a – costly, expensive
115. Difficile – difficult
116. Distante – distant, far
117. Divertente – fun
118. Falso/a – false, fake
119. Finto/a – fake, artificial
120. Grande – big, large, great
121. Guasto – broken, faulty
122. Lontano/a – far, distant
123. Moderno/a – modern
124. Nuovo/a – new
125. Perfetto – perfect
126. Piccolo/a – small, little
127. Raro – rare
128. Rotto/a – broken
129. Sporco/a – dirty
130. Usato/a – used
131. Utile – useful
132. Vicino/a – near, close

Italian adjectives to describe shapes and materials

133. Cartaceo/a – paper-based
134. Circolare – circular
135. Corto/a – short
136. Lungo/a – long
137. Metallico/a – metallic
138. Quadrato/a – square
139. Rettangolare – rectangular
140. Rotondo/a – round
141. Sferico/a – spherical
142. Sottile – thin
143. Triangolare – triangular
144. Voluminoso/a – bulky

Colour adjectives

145. Amaranto – maroon
146. Arancione– orange
147. Azzurro/a– light blue
148. Bianco/a– white
149. Blu– blue
150. Fucsia – fuchsia
151. Giallo/a– yellow
152. Grigio/a– grey
153. Indaco – indigo
154. Lilla – lilac
155. Nero/a– black
156. Marrone– brown
157. Rosa– pink
158. Rosso/a– red
159. Verde– green
160. Viola– purple

Italian adjectives to describe senses

161. Affamato/a – Hungry
162. Dolce – Sweet
163. Doloroso/a – Painful
164. Forte – Loud (also means Strong)
165. Liscio/a – Smooth
166. Luminoso/a – Bright
167. Maleodorante – Smelly
168. Morbido/a – Soft
169. Pieno/a – Full
170. Profumato/a – Fragrant
171. Rumoroso/a – Noisy
172. Ruvido/a – Rough
173. Setoso/a – Silky
174. Soffice – Fluffy
175. Viscido/a – Slimy

How well do you know Italian adjectives? Take this quiz!

Put your knowledge to the test with these little quizzes!

Drag & Drop

Complete the following texts with the missing adjectives, choosing among the ones given.

Spot the mistake!

Choose if the adjective/s in the following sentences are used correctly or not:

---

If you found this guide useful, then you’ll love Intrepid Italian, my series of online self-paced video courses that break down everything you need to know about Italian using my 80/20 method. Visit IntrepidItalian.com for more details.

---

Are you a beginner or an intermediate Italian learner? Got a trip coming up or want to communicate with your Italian partner or relatives in Italian? Learn Italian with my unique 80/20 method

Registrations are now open to join Intrepid Italian, my new series of online video courses that use my unique 80/20 method. You’ll go from a shy, confused beginner to a proficient and confident intermediate speaker, with me as your trusty guide.

You’ll finally be able to connect with your Italian partner, speak to your relatives and enjoy authentic travel experiences in Italy that you’ve always dreamed of, and so much more.

As a native English speaker who learned Italian as an adult, I know what it’s like to feel hopeless and lack the confidence to speak. I know what it’s like to start from scratch and to even go back to absolute basics and learn what a verb is!

Intrepid Italian was created with YOU in mind. I use my working knowledge of the English language to help you get into the ‘Italian mindset’ so you can avoid the common pitfalls and errors English speakers make – because I made them once too! I break everything down in such a way that it ‘clicks’ and just makes sense.

No matter what your level is, there is an Intrepid Italian course for you, including:

• 🇮🇹 Intrepid Italian for Beginners (A1)
• 🇮🇹 Intrepid Italian for Advanced Beginners (A2)
• 🇮🇹 Intrepid Italian for Intermediates (B1)

You can join 1, 2, or all 3 courses, it’s entirely up to you. The best part is that you have lifetime access so you learn anytime, anywhere and on any device.

As your guide, I walk you through each lesson, step-by-step, using my unique 80/20 method. My approach is different from traditional methods because I teach you the most important 20% of the language right from the beginning so you can start to speak straight away.

Each course includes video lessons, audio exercises, downloadable worksheets, bonus guides, a private support community, and lifetime access all designed to streamline your learning while having fun.

It even comes with my famous “Celebrate with a Spritz Guarantee”. After 30 days of using Intrepid Italian, if you don’t want to celebrate your new-found Italian skills with an Aperol Spritz, you don’t have to pay a penny! Cheers! 🥂
Join Intrepid Italian here and start learning today!
Ci vediamo lì! (See you there!)

---

Learning Italian? Check out these Italian language guides

• Italian for Beginners | How to Learn Italian in 3 Simple Steps
• TOP 100 Most Common Italian Words (Plus PDF Cheat-Sheet & Quiz)
• Italian Prepositions:The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need (PLUS Chart)
• 17 Weird Italian Superstitions Italians ACTUALLY Live By
• 17 Must-Know Italian Hand Gestures: The Ultimate Guide
• 10 Ways Natives REALLY Say ‘You’re Welcome’ in Italian
• How to say ‘Please’ in Italian in 9 Ways Like a Native
• 41 Italian Greetings: How to Say ‘Hello’ in Italian Like a Local
• 125 Most Common Italian Phrases for Travel You’ll Ever Need [PLUS Printable]
• 8 DEADLY mistakes in Italian (& How to Avoid Them)
• How to Conjugate Italian Verbs in 3 Simple Steps [Italian for Beginners]
• Is Italian Hard to Learn? 7 Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
• Master Days of the Week in Italian (7 Simple Memory Hacks)
• Italian Numbers: How to Count in Italian From 0 to 1 Billion (Plus PDF Download)
• How to Order Food & Drinks in Italian [Italian for Beginners]
• 15 Italian Words You Should NEVER Mispronounce [& How Not To]
• 11 Effective Hacks That’ll Help You Learn Italian So Much Faster
• Top 14 Italian Words You Should NEVER Say [& What to Use Instead]
• 20 Hilarious Everyday Italian Expressions You Should Use
• Romanesco: 25 Cool Roman Dialect Words You Should Use in Rome
• 10 Reasons Why Learning Italian Will Change Your Life
• 10 Italian Expressions Italians Love Saying
• 10 Italian Phrases That Will Instantly Make You Sound more Italian
• Funny Italian Sayings: 26 Food-Related Insults You Won’t Forget
• 15 Romantic Italian Films That’ll Make You Love Italy Even More
• How to Master Common Italian Phrases for Travel (Like a Local!)

---

Like it? Pin it for later!

---

Over to you!

Did you enjoy this lesson? Do you have a question? Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media @intrepidguide or @intrepiditalian to start a conversation.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.

Like what you see? Subscribe using the form below to have all of my posts delivered directly to your email.