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N.B.: We use a written accent mark to help students identify word stress and open/closed vowels even though Standard Italian may not require it.

Invariable Nouns

The following tables show examples of invariable nouns, i.e., words that have one form for both singular and plural.

1) Monosyllables

Singular English Equivalent Plural English Equivalent
il dì day i dì days
il ré king i ré kings
il sé self i sé selves
il sì yes i sì yeses
il si B (musical note) i si B's (musical notes)
il su up i su ups
il tè tea i tè teas

2) Nouns ending with a consonant

Singular English Equivalent Plural English Equivalent
autobus (lo) bus gli autobus buses
bar (il) café i bar cafes
computer (il) computer i computer computers
condor (il) condor i condor condors
modem (il) modem i modem modems
monitor (il) monitor i monitor monitors
pallet (il) pallet i pallet pallets
pancreas (il) pancreas i pancreas pancreases
pandit (il) pundit i pandit pundits
pantheon (il) Pantheon i pantheon Pantheons
parquet (il) wood floor i parquet wood floors
radar (il) radar i radar radars
scanner (lo) scanner gli scanner scanners
sport (lo) sport gli sport sports
tram (il) cable car i tram cable cars

3) Foreign terms in general

Singular English Equivalent Plural English Equivalent
drive (il) drive i drive drives
mouse (il) mouse i mouse mice
mousse (la) mousse le mousse mousses
paella (la) paella le paella paellas
pànama (il) Panama hat i pànama Panama hats
party (il) party i party parties
pastiche (il) pastiche i pastiche pastiche
pâté (il) pâté i pâté pâtés
performance (la) performance le performance performances
software (il) software i software softwares

4) Nouns ending with an accented vowel (for example, nouns indicating abstract qualities)

Singular English Equivalent Plural English Equivalent
babà (il) rum cake i babà rum cakes
bebé (il) baby i bebé babies
beltà (la) beauty le beltà beauties
caffè (il) coffee i caffè coffees
canapè (il) sofa i canapè sofas
città (la) city le città cities
civiltà (la) civilization le civiltà civilizations
emù (lo) emu gli emù emus
paltò (il) overcoat i paltò overcoats
papà (il)q father i papà fathers
pascià (il) pasha i pascià pashas
virtù (la) virtue le virtù virtues

5) Abbreviated nouns

Singular English Equivalent Plural English Equivalent
àuto (la) (automobile) car le àuto cars
cìnema (il) (cinematografo) movie theatre i cìnema movie theatres
dìnamo (la) (l'apparecchio dinamoelettrico) generator le dìnamo generators
mòto (la) (motocicletta) byke le mòto bykes
parà (il) (paracadutista) paratrooper i parà paratroopers
ràdio (la) (il radioricevitore) radio le radio radios
stereo (lo) (stereofonico) stereo gli stereo stereos
vìdeo (il) (la videocassetta) videotape i video videotapes

6) Nouns ending in "i"

Singular English Equivalent Plural English Equivalent
àlcali (lo) alkali gli àlcali alkalis
àlibi (lo) alibi gli àlibi alibis
cisti (la) cyst le cisti cysts
crisi (la) crisis le crisi crises
ipòfisi (la) hypophysis le ipofisi hypophyses
paràbasi (la) parabasis le parabasi parabases
paràfrasi (la) paraphrase le parafrasi paraphrases
paràlisi (la) paralysis le paralisi paralyses
parèntesi (la) parenthesis le parèntesi parentheses
tèsi (la) dissertation le tèsi dissertations

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