Sostantive

Sostantive is not a standard term in Italian grammar. The correct word is sostantivo, which denotes a noun in Italian linguistics. In English-language discussions you may encounter the term noun rather than sostantivo. This article describes the Italian term sostantivo and its role in the language.

A sostantivo is a word that names a person, a place, a thing, or an abstract idea. It serves as the core element of a noun phrase and can be modified by adjectives. In sentences, sostantivi typically function as subjects, direct objects, or indirect objects, and they can be accompanied by determiners such as articles or demonstratives. They also agree with the rest of the sentence in gender and number.

Morphology in Italian sostantivi includes gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). Most sostantivi change form to reflect number, and many also reflect gender through their determiner and adjective agreement. Plural formation varies: many masculine nouns end in -i, many feminine nouns end in -e, with several irregular patterns as well. The use of articles and adjectives requires concord with the noun’s gender and number.

Sostantivi can be further categorized by common versus proper, concrete versus abstract, countable versus uncountable, and collective. Common sostantivi name general items, while proper sostantivi name specific entities. Concrete sostantivi refer to tangible items; abstract sostantivi denote ideas or qualities. Collective sostantivi refer to a group treated as a single unit.

See also: parts of speech, Italian grammar, sostantivo (italian term).