The Plural of Nouns: Nouns Ending in -co / -go, -logo / -fago, -io / ìo

Singular nouns ending in -co / -go are generally pluralized by changing their ending to:

• -chi / ghi (when paroxytone – that is words with stress on the penultimate syllable, like the English potato)
• -ci / gi (when proparoxytone – that is, words with stress on the antepenultimate syllable, like cinema in English)

Examples:

(l’) arco (bow) / (gli) archi (bows)
(il) lago (lake) / (i) laghi (lakes)
(il) chirurgo (surgeon) / (i) chirurghi
(il) parroco (parson) / (i) parroci (parsons)
(l’) asparago (asparagus) / (gli) asparagi (asparagus)

Exceptions:

(l’) amico (friend) / (gli) amici (friends)
(il) nemico (enemy) / (i) nemici (enemies)
(il) porco (pig) / (i) porci (swine)
(il) greco (Greek) / (i) greci (Greeks)
(il) carico (load) / (i) carichi (loads)
(l’) incarico (assignment) / (gli) incarichi (assignments)
(il) valico (col) / (i) valichi (cols)
(l’) obbligo (obligation) / (gli) obblighi (obligations)
(il) dialogo (dialogue) / (i) dialoghi (dialogues)
(il) monologo (monologue) / (i) monologhi

Singular nouns ending in -logo / -fago referring to people generally admit both forms for the

plural (in -gi / -ghi) but generally prefer the form ending in -gi :

Examples:

(lo) psicologo (psychologist) / (gli) psicologi (psychologists)
(l’) antropologo (anthropologist) / (gli) antropologi (anthropologists)

Singular nouns ending in -io are generally pluralized by changing their ending to -i

Examples:

(il) calendario (calendar) / (i) calendari (calendars)
(il) bacio (kiss) / (i) baci (kisses)
(il) rosario (rosary) / (i) rosari (rosaries)

Singular nouns ending in -ìo are generally pluralized by changing their ending to -ìi

Examples:

(l’) oblio (oblivion) / (gli) oblii (calendars)
(lo) zio (uncle) / (gli) zii (aunt and uncle)