In Italian, the word "cane" (dog) is masculine.
Understanding the gender of nouns in Italian, like "cane," is fundamental to constructing grammatically correct sentences. Unlike English, all Italian nouns are either masculine or feminine, and this gender often influences the articles, adjectives, and pronouns used with them.
Determining Noun Gender in Italian
While there are general rules for noun gender in Italian, such as words ending in "-o" typically being masculine and words ending in "-a" typically being feminine, there are also exceptions. For words that refer to living beings, like "cane," the grammatical gender often aligns with the biological sex, but not always, and some animals have a fixed gender regardless of the actual animal's sex.
The Case of "Cane"
The word "cane" falls under masculine nouns. This is consistently shown in Italian grammar resources.
Let's look at examples of masculine and feminine nouns, including "cane," from Italian grammar:
| Masculine Nouns | English Equivalent | Feminine Nouns | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| il cane | dog | la carne | meat |
| il pesce | fish | la notte | night |
| il sole | sun | la tigre | tiger |
| il giornale | newspaper | la luce | light |
As you can see from the table above, "il cane" is clearly listed as a masculine noun, meaning it takes the masculine definite article "il" (the).
Why Noun Gender Matters
Knowing the gender of a noun like "cane" is crucial because it affects:
- Articles: You would use il (the) or un (a/an) for masculine singular nouns (e.g., il cane, un cane).
- Adjectives: Adjectives describing "cane" must also be in their masculine form (e.g., il cane grande - the big dog, not grande (feminine)).
- Pronouns: Masculine pronouns would be used to refer back to "cane."
For more detailed information on noun gender in Italian, you can consult resources like Italiano Bello's guide on Masculine and Feminine in Italian.
