Lesson 157: Placement of Adjectives in Italian

In Italian, adjectives, depending upon their function, can come before or after the noun.

As a general rule, you'll find that adjective will follow the noun that they modify with some certain noted exceptions.

Below I've outlined some rules, which might appear complicated. It is probably not expected that you will know or understand them completely. I think that it is good to understand the mechanics of Italian grammar, but do not feel pressured or fixated on being always perfect, especially when speaking. When speaking Italian, the minutiae of Italian grammar be relaxed.

The following adjectives come before the noun:

• numbers (ordinal and cardinal)
  
  Ho comprato due magliette al negozio.
  I bought two shirts at the store.
  
  
• possessives
  
  Mio padre ha perso il suo portafogli.
  My dad lost his wallet.
  
  
• indefinite adjecitves
  
  Vuoi un'altra birra?
  Do you want another beer?
  
  
• demonstrative adjectives
  
  Quel programma è noioso.
  That program is boring.
  
  
• interrogative adjectives
  
  Quali riviste leggete adesso?
  What magazines are you reading now?

The following adjectives come after the noun:

• adjectives of nationality
  
  La lettura italiana ha molti autori famosi.
  Italian literature has many famous authors.
  
  
• adjectives of color which are invariable
  
  Non mi piacciono le scarpe marrone.
  I don't like brown shoes.
  
  
• past participles used as adjectives
  
  Le macchine usate sono più economiche.
  Used cars are less expensive.
  

With adjectives that do not fit neatly into the categories above, these rules govern the placement of adjectives:

• Adjectives follow the noun if the quality expressed by the adjective(s) is an integral property of that noun which sets it apart from others. These are known as restrictive (or necessary) adjectives:
  
  Tutte le macchine nuove erano vendute.
  All of the new cars were sold. (while the used ones were not)
  
  
• Adjectives precede the noun when the adjectives indicate a valuation, impression or a judgment of the speaker. These are known as descriptive (or accessory) adjectives:
  
  Tutte le nuove macchine erano vendute.
  All of the new cars were sold. (All of the new cars were sold)

• When the adjective is modified by an adverb or a prepositional phrase, the adjective follows the noun:
  
  Le lettere molto importanti sono arrivate oggi.
  The very important letters arrived today.
  
  
• When the adjective is altered with a suffix, the adjective follows the noun:
  
  La ragazza stupidina non sa niente.
  The stupid girl doesn't know anything.
  
  
• If a series of adjectives modify modify a noun, the noun that is most restrictive should be closest to the noun:
  
  La musica pop inglese fa molto bene.
  English pop music is doing well.
  

The adjectives below* have different meanings (literal or metaphorical) depending upon their placement before or after the noun:

• bello
• brutto
• piccolo
• grande
• grosso
• buono
• cattivo
• bravo
• diverso
• vecchio
• santo
• semplice
• nuovo
• leggero
• unico
• numeroso
• certo

When the adjectives above follow the nouns that they modify, their meaning is literal. When they precede the nouns they modify, their meaning is metaphorical or figurative:

• Siamo vecchi amici.
  We are old friends.
  (that is, we have been friends for a long time)
  
  
• Siamo amici vecchi.
  We are old friends.
  (that is, we are both friends and old)
  
  
• Danilo è un uomo povero. Ha perso il suo lavoro, non ha soldi.
  Danilo is a poor man. He lost his job and doesn't have money.
  (literally, he is poor - no more $)
  
  
• Danilo è un pover'uomo. Ha vinto la lotteria pero ha perso il biglietto.
  Danilo is an unfortunate man. He won the lottery but lost the ticket.
  (metaphorically speaking, he is poor in an unfortunate sense)
  

*this list is not all inclusive