In Italian, the word for 'university', università, is feminine.
Understanding Noun Gender in Italian
Italian nouns, like those in many Romance languages, possess a grammatical gender, meaning they are classified as either masculine or feminine. This gender determines the form of articles, adjectives, and sometimes even verbs associated with the noun.
The Gender of Università
The word università is classified as a feminine noun in Italian. Its gender is a result of its ending. Nouns in Italian that end with an accented vowel, such as -à (like università and città), often have a fixed gender and do not change their form when pluralized. Instead, their number (singular or plural) is indicated by the accompanying article.
For università:
- Singular: l'università (the university)
- Plural: le università (the universities)
Notice the use of the apostrophe (l') in the singular. This is an elision that occurs when a definite article (la) precedes a noun beginning with a vowel, like università.
Irregular Nouns in Italian
While many Italian nouns follow general rules based on their ending (e.g., nouns ending in -o are often masculine, and those ending in -a are often feminine), there are many exceptions and irregular patterns. Nouns ending with an accented vowel often fall into this "irregular" category because their form does not change for the plural, and their gender must be learned.
Here are some examples of irregular nouns, including those ending with accented vowels, illustrating their fixed genders:
| Noun Type (Ending with Accented Vowel) | Masculine Examples | Feminine Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Nouns with fixed genders that often have the same form in singular and plural. | il caffè (coffee) il re (king) l'hotel (hotel) |
la città (city) la gru (crane) l'università (university) |
As shown in the table, università is firmly categorized as a feminine noun.
Practical Application and Examples
Understanding the gender of università is crucial for correct sentence construction:
- Using Articles:
- Singular: Vado all'università. (I go to the university.)
- Plural: Le università italiane sono famose. (Italian universities are famous.)
- Adjective Agreement:
- L'università è grande. (The university is big.) - Adjective
grandedoes not change for gender, but if it were an adjective likevecchio(old), it would bevecchiaforuniversità. - Le università sono vecchie. (The universities are old.) - Adjective
vecchio(old) changes tovecchieto agree with the feminine plural noununiversità.
- L'università è grande. (The university is big.) - Adjective
- Other Feminine Nouns with -tà Ending: Many nouns ending in -tà in Italian are consistently feminine and do not change their form in the plural, for instance:
- la libertà (freedom) - le libertà
- la verità (truth) - le verità
- la città (city) - le città
Mastering the gender of such nouns is a fundamental step in achieving fluency in Italian. For more insights into Italian noun genders and their rules, you can refer to comprehensive Italian grammar resources.
