You probably know that for every professore there is a professoressa, and for every studente there is a studentessa. But how about other nouns of profession, status, or relation that have a male and a female version?
Most masculine nouns ending in -tore become feminine by changing -tore to -trice (see table below).
|
GENDERED NOUNS: FROM -TORE TO -TRICE |
|
MASCULINE |
FEMININE |
ENGLISH |
|
attore |
attrice |
actor |
|
autore |
autrice |
author |
|
direttore |
direttrice |
director |
|
imperatore |
imperatrice |
emperor/empress |
|
lavoratore |
lavoratrice |
worker |
|
pittore |
pittrice |
painter |
|
scrittore |
scrittrice |
writer |
|
stiratore |
stiratrice |
presser |
|
traditore |
traditrice |
traitor |
|
traduttore |
traduttrice |
translator |
Some masculine nouns become feminine by changing their final vowel to -a (see table below).
|
GENDERED NOUNS THAT GAIN AN -A IN THE FEMININE |
|
MASCULINE |
FEMININE |
ENGLISH |
|
cameriere |
cameriera |
waiter/waitress |
|
cassiere |
cassiera |
bank teller |
|
figlio |
figlia |
son/daughter |
|
giardiniere |
giardiniera |
gardener |
|
infermiere |
infermiera |
nurse |
|
marchese |
marchesa |
marquis/marchioness |
|
padrone |
padrona |
boss, owner |
|
portiere |
portiera |
doorman/doorwoman |
|
sarto |
sarta |
tailor/dressmaker |
|
signore |
signora |
Mr./Mrs. |
Take note that there are certain names of professions that end in -a regardless of whether the term refers to a male or a female. In such case, the gender distinction is made by the definite article: il giornalista/la giornalista, il dentista/la dentista. The plurals of these professions follow the same general rule as with any other noun: Plural masculine nouns end in -i (i giornalisti, i dentisi), plural feminine nouns end in -e (le giornaliste, le dentiste).
Finally, certain masculine nouns become feminine by replacing their final vowel with -essa (see the following table).
|
GENDERED NOUNS THAT GAIN AN -ESSA IN THE FEMININE |
|
MASCULINE |
FEMININE |
ENGLISH |
|
avvocato |
avvocatessa |
lawyer |
|
campione |
campionessa |
champion |
|
conte |
contessa |
count/countess |
|
dottore |
dottoressa |
doctor |
|
oste |
ostessa |
host/hostess |
|
poeta |
poetessa |
poet |
|
principe |
principessa |
prince/princess |
|
profeta |
profetessa |
prophet |
|
sacerdote |
sacerdotessa |
high priest/priestess |
|
studente |
studentessa |
student |
