In French, italien and italienne mean “Italian,” but the correct form depends on what the word describes. The language is l’italien, while the nationality adjective agrees with a masculine or feminine noun.
“Italian” in French is italien (masculine) or italienne (feminine). The Italian language is l’italien.
Italian in French: Main Forms
The French nationality adjective changes to agree with the noun in gender and number:
- italien — masculine singular
- italienne — feminine singular
- italiens — masculine plural or mixed group
- italiennes — feminine plural
For example, un restaurant italien means “an Italian restaurant,” while une ville italienne means “an Italian city.” The noun controls the agreement: restaurant is masculine and ville is feminine. For a group of women, use italiennes; for a mixed group, standard French uses the masculine plural italiens.
Talking About the Italian Language
To name the language itself, French uses l’italien. For the corresponding name in the language itself, compare Italian in Italian. The article le becomes l’ before the vowel at the start of italien. For example, J’apprends l’italien means “I am learning Italian.”
After the verb parler (“to speak”), the language name often appears without an article: Je parle italien means “I speak Italian.” To describe lessons, use des cours d’italien; see classes in French. You can also use la langue italienne, literally “the Italian language”; here italienne agrees with the feminine noun langue.
French language names are generally written in lowercase. The same is true of nationality adjectives: write italien, not Italien, when describing a language or a person with an adjective.
Describing a Person or Thing
When the word names a person rather than describing a noun, French uses a capital letter: un Italien means “an Italian man” or “an Italian person,” and une Italienne means “an Italian woman.” Compare Il est italien (“He is Italian”) with C’est un Italien (“He is an Italian”). In the first sentence, the word is an adjective and stays lowercase; in the second, it is a nationality noun and is capitalized.
The adjective can describe food, places, objects, or cultural things as well as people. It still agrees with the noun: une recette italienne (“an Italian recipe”), des films italiens (“Italian films”), and des chansons italiennes (“Italian songs”).
Pronunciation of Italien and Italienne
Italien is pronounced roughly “ee-tah-lyeh(n),” with the final nasal sound typical of French. Italienne has a more clearly pronounced ending, roughly “ee-tah-lyenn.” The feminine form adds a syllable, and its final consonant is heard. Listening to both forms side by side makes the difference easier to notice.
French pronunciation varies slightly by speaker and region. Use the audio button to hear a standard French voice, then repeat the word as part of a short phrase such as un café italien or une cuisine italienne.
Example Sentences
- Je parle italien. — I speak Italian.
- C’est un restaurant italien. — It is an Italian restaurant.
- Elle est italienne. — She is Italian.
- Nous visitons des villes italiennes. — We are visiting Italian cities.
- Marco est un Italien. — Marco is an Italian man.
- J’apprends la langue italienne. — I am learning the Italian language.
- Ils aiment les films italiens. — They like Italian films.
- Cette recette italienne est facile. — This Italian recipe is easy.
Notice the agreement in cette recette italienne: both recette and its adjective are feminine singular. In des films italiens, both are masculine plural. These small endings help French sentences sound natural and make the relationship between words clear.
Common Mistakes
- Using one form for every noun: change italien to italienne for feminine nouns and use plural forms when needed.
- Capitalizing an adjective: nationality adjectives are lowercase, as in Elle est italienne.
- Forgetting that a person noun is capitalized: write un Italien for a person.
- Adding an article after parler unnecessarily: Je parle italien is the usual expression for “I speak Italian.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Tap a question below to see the answer.
How do you say “Italian” in French?
Use italien with masculine nouns and italienne with feminine nouns. The plural forms are italiens and italiennes.
How do you say “I speak Italian” in French?
Say Je parle italien. French commonly leaves out the article after parler when naming a language.
Is Italian capitalized in French?
Nationality adjectives and language names are lowercase. A noun naming a person is capitalized, as in un Italien or une Italienne.
What is the difference between italien and italienne?
Italien is masculine singular; italienne is feminine singular. Choose the form that agrees with the noun or person described.
How do you say “Italian language” in French?
Say l’italien or la langue italienne. The first is the common noun for the language; the second literally means “the Italian language.”
Summary: Italian in French
French uses italien, italienne, italiens, or italiennes according to gender and number. The language is l’italien; after parler, say parler italien. Keep nationality adjectives lowercase, but capitalize the noun for a person: un Italien or une Italienne.
