1. Punto di partenza
You already learned some descriptive adjectives in Lezione 1B, and in Lezione 3A you learned to use possessive adjectives. Descriptive adjectives generally follow the nouns they modify.
DESCRIPTIVE
ADJECTIVE
NOUN
Lo studente pigro non studia molto.
The lazy student doesn’t study a lot.
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2. Here are more adjectives that you can use to describe people.
Roberto è muscoloso.
Roberto is muscular.
Quei bambini sono scortesi.
Those children are rude.
Claudia è arrabbiata.
Claudia is angry.
Le tue figlie sono carine.
Your daughters are cute.
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3. To describe a person who is neither alto nor basso, use the phrase di media statura (of average height).
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4. You have already learned that adjectives ending in -o have four forms, and those ending in -e have only two forms. Adjectives ending in -ista have three forms: one for all singular nouns, and different forms for masculine plural and feminine plural nouns.
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6. To describe the color of a person’s eyes or hair, use avere + gli occhi/i capelli + [adjective].
Non ho i capelli mossi.
I don’t have wavy hair.
I miei fi gli hanno gli occhi azzurri.
My kids have blue eyes.
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7. Vedi la ragazza dai capelli castani?
The Italian equivalent of the English expression with (red, blonde, etc.) hair is dai capelli (rossi, biondi ecc.).
Vedi la ragazza dai capelli castani?
Do you see the girl with brown hair (the brown-haired girl)?
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8. Position of adjectives
Certain adjectives, including bello, brutto, buono, cattivo, nuovo, vecchio, giovane, grande, and piccolo, often precede the noun. In this position, buono and bello have special forms.
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9. Note that the pattern of singular endings of buono resembles the pattern of the indefinite article, and the pattern of bello resembles that of the definite article.
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10. 1. muscoloso ___________ 2. blu ___________ 3. contento ___________
Provide all forms of each adjective.
muscoloso, muscolosa,
muscolosi, muscolose
1. muscoloso ___________
2. blu ___________
3. contento ___________
4. intelligente ___________
5. piccolo ___________
6. triste ___________
7. sportivo ___________
8. pessimista ___________
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