Italian Nationalities and Languages: Americano or Americana?
A0 · Lesson 16 · Nationalities
One little ending tells everyone where you are from, and whether you are a man or a woman.
Quick answer
Italian nationalities are easy: to say yours, use sono + nationality: Sono americano (man) or Sono americana (woman). Nationalities ending in -e never change: Sono inglese. Italian writes them with a small letter. For languages, say Parlo inglese (I speak English).
Italian nationalities: -o for a man, -a for a woman
Most nationalities have two forms. You pick the one that matches you.
💡 In simple words
A man → the word ends in -o: Tom è americano.
A woman → the word ends in -a: Kate è americana.
Tom è = Tom is (verb essere, lesson 11).
Words in -e: the same for everyone
Some nationalities end in -e. Good news: they are the same for a man and a woman. Nothing to change.
Liam è irlandese. Mary è irlandese. (LEE-ahm eh eer-lahn-DEH-zeh) · Liam is Irish. Mary is Irish.
Words in -e never change. Words in -o change to -a. That is the whole trick.
Small letters: americano, not Americano
The small-letter rule
- 1Nationalities: small letter. Sono americano. Not Americano.
- 2Languages: small letter too. Parlo inglese.
- 3Countries keep the capital letter: Italia (ee-TAH-lyah) → italiano; America → americano.
English writes “American” with a capital A. Italian does not. It is the most common spelling slip for Americans, so watch for it.
Di che nazionalità sei? Asking and answering
Di che nazionalità sei?
dee keh nah-tsyoh-nah-lee-TAH SAY
What nationality are you? (to a friend)
InformalDi che nazionalità è?
dee keh nah-tsyoh-nah-lee-TAH EH
What nationality are you? (polite, to a stranger)
PoliteSono americano.
SOH-noh ah-meh-ree-KAH-noh
I’m American. (a woman says americana)
AnswerChange the words
Sono americana.
SOH-noh ah-meh-ree-KAH-nah · I’m American.
Swap the word: canadese messicano australiana irlandese
Gli italiani dicono…
Sono mezzo italiano! · Sono mezza italiana!
SOH-noh MEHD-dzoh ee-tah-LYAH-noh · MEHD-dzah ee-tah-LYAH-nah
I’m half Italian! A man says mezzo, a woman says mezza: the same -o / -a trick. Say it in Italy and get ready: the next question is always Di dove? (dee DOH-veh, from where?).
Italian-American? Sono italoamericano / italoamericana (ee-tah-loh-ah-meh-ree-KAH-noh / -nah).
Languages: Parlo inglese, parlo un po’ di italiano
A language uses the same word as the nationality, in the -o or -e form. Always. Even if you are a woman: Parlo italiano, never Parlo italiana.
Parlo inglese.
PAHR-loh een-GLEH-zeh
I speak English.
IParlo un po’ di italiano.
PAHR-loh oon POH dee ee-tah-LYAH-noh
I speak a little Italian.
IParli spagnolo?
PAHR-lee spah-NYOH-loh
Do you speak Spanish? (to a friend)
InformalParla inglese?
PAHR-lah een-GLEH-zeh
Do you speak English? (polite) · also: he / she speaks
Polite💡 In simple words
Learn parlo (I speak), parli (you speak) and parla (he, she, polite you) as ready-made blocks. No verb tables today.
Languages to swap in: inglese italiano spagnolo (Spanish) francese tedesco
More than one: americani, americane, inglesi
You will see these on signs, menus and in the news. Just recognize them for now; no need to make them yourself.
In a news headline: Turisti americani a Roma (too-REE-stee ah-meh-ree-KAH-nee ah ROH-mah) · American tourists in Rome. Read it, smile, move on.
In real life: first day at language school
Giulia
classmate
Ciao! Di che nazionalità sei?
Hi! What nationality are you?
you
Sono americano. E tu?
I’m American. And you?
Giulia
classmate
Sono italiana, di Firenze. Parli italiano?
I’m Italian, from Florence. Do you speak Italian?
you
Parlo un po’ di italiano!
I speak a little Italian!
Giulia
classmate
Bravo!
Well done!
A woman playing “you” says Sono americana and hears Brava!
Common mistakes English speakers make
Sono Americano. → Sono americano.
Small letter for nationalities and languages.
Kate: Sono italiano. → Sono italiana.
A woman uses the -a form.
Ho americana. → Sono americana.
Nationality goes with sono (I am), not ho (I have).
A woman: Parlo italiana. → Parlo italiano.
Languages always use the -o form.
A woman: Sono inglesa. → Sono inglese.
Words in -e never change.
Did you know? Italy is younger than the USA
🇮🇹 A young country
Italy has been one country only since 1861. Before that it was many separate states, each with its own dialect.
🗣️ Italiano for everyone
That is why your Italian friend may speak italiano at work and dialect with grandma. Standard Italian is what you learn here, and everyone understands it.
Proud to say it: Sono americano. Italians love asking where you are from.
Sono australiano. Okay, okay: I’m from a pet shop in Ohio. But look at the sunglasses.
Step 9 · Practice
🍕 Your turn
Start with a quick warm-up, then press Check. Want more? Open the extra exercises below. Mistakes are part of it. No pressure.
Warm-up · 5 questions
Choose the right word.
1. Tom: “Sono ___.”
2. Kate: “Sono ___.”
3. Liam is from Ireland. Mary too. Mary è ___.
4. Write it the Italian way:
5. You speak a little Italian:
See more exercises · 42 questions ▾Hide the extra exercises ▴
1 · Man or woman?
Choose the form that matches the person.
1. Marco is from Rome. Marco è ___.
2. Sofia is from Milan. Sofia è ___.
3. Carlos is from Mexico City. Carlos è ___.
4. Lupe is from Guadalajara. Lupe è ___.
5. Hans is from Berlin. Hans è ___.
6. Anna is from Munich. Anna è ___.
7. Chloe is from Sydney. Chloe è ___.
8. Jack is from Melbourne. Jack è ___.
9. Emily is from Toronto. Emily è ___.
10. Pierre is from Paris. Pierre è ___.
2 · Right or wrong?
Is the sentence correct?
1. Kate: “Sono americana.”
2. Tom: “Sono Americano.”
3. Mary: “Sono irlandesa.”
4. Giulia: “Parlo italiano.”
5. Sarah: “Ho americana.”
6. Luca: “Sono mezzo americano.”
7. Emma: “Sono mezzo italiano.”
8. “Parlo Inglese.”
3 · Which language?
Complete: Parlo ___ (I speak…).
1. In London people speak…
2. In Rome people speak…
3. In Mexico people speak…
4. In Paris people speak…
5. In Berlin people speak…
6. Kate is from Chicago and speaks…
7. Giulia is Italian. She says: Parlo…
8. Your Italian is not great yet:
4 · What do you say?
Choose the best sentence for the situation.
1. You want to ask a new friend her nationality.
2. You ask an older gentleman on the train, politely.
3. You are a man. Your dad is Italian, your mom is American.
4. You are a woman. Your grandparents were from Naples, you were born in New Jersey.
5. You ask a friend if she speaks Spanish.
6. You ask a shop assistant (polite) if he speaks English.
5 · Write it in Italian
Type the sentence. Capital letters and punctuation don’t matter. Type è as e’ if you have no accent key.
1. I’m American. (a man)
2. I’m American. (a woman)
3. I’m Canadian.
4. I speak English.
5. I speak a little Italian.
6. Do you speak Spanish? (to a friend)
7. What nationality are you? (to a friend)
8. I’m half Italian. (a woman)
9. Tom is American.
10. Kate is English.
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Ci vediamo la prossima settimana! – Sì, alla prossima lezione! Ciao!
See you next week! – Yes, see you at the next lesson! Bye!
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Written by Luciana
Native Italian teacher, CEDILS certified, 10,000+ lessons since 2020.
