italiano
/ee-tah-LYAH-noh/
Italian
Italiano as an adjective describes things from Italy, like this famous Italian pizza.
📝 In Action
Me encanta la comida italiana, especialmente la pizza.
A1I love Italian food, especially pizza.
Ese coche deportivo es italiano.
A2That sports car is Italian.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender and Number Match
As an adjective, 'italiano' must change its ending to match the thing it describes. If you talk about a female person or a feminine noun (like 'pizza'), use 'italiana'. For plural items, add an 's'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using the base form incorrectly
Mistake: "Las personas italiano son amables."
Correction: Las personas italianas son amables. (Because 'personas' is feminine and plural, the adjective needs 'as' at the end.)
⭐ Usage Tips
No Capital Letters for Nationalities
Unlike English, Spanish generally does not capitalize nationalities or languages unless they begin a sentence.
When used as a noun, italiano refers to an Italian man.
📝 In Action
Mi nuevo vecino es italiano y trabaja como chef.
A1My new neighbor is an Italian (man) and works as a chef.
¿Conoces a ese famoso italiano que canta ópera?
B1Do you know that famous Italian (man) who sings opera?
💡 Grammar Points
Feminine Form
If you are referring to a female person, the noun changes to 'la italiana' (the Italian woman).
Italiano is also the name of the Italian language.
📝 In Action
El italiano es una lengua muy melódica.
A2Italian is a very melodic language.
Quiero aprender a hablar italiano con fluidez.
B1I want to learn to speak Italian fluently.
💡 Grammar Points
Using Articles with Languages
When naming a language in Spanish, you almost always need to use the definite article 'el' (e.g., 'El italiano es difícil'). The exception is right after verbs like 'hablar' (to speak) or 'aprender' (to learn).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Omitting the Article
Mistake: "Quiero estudiar italiano en la universidad."
Correction: Quiero estudiar el italiano en la universidad. (While 'hablar italiano' is common, using 'el' is safer and often required in other contexts like 'El italiano es difícil.')
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: italiano
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'italiano' as an adjective?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to capitalize 'italiano'?
No. In Spanish, words for nationalities and languages are written in lowercase unless they start a sentence. So, 'pizza italiana' is correct, not 'pizza Italiana'.
How do I refer to a group of Italian people of mixed genders?
You use the masculine plural form, 'los italianos.' This is the standard way to refer to mixed-gender groups in Spanish.