Log inSign up

Gli zaini sono piccoli e leggeri.

Gli zaini sono piccoli e leggeri.
The backpacks are small and light.
From Lesson 15:Adjective endings (-o, -a, -i, -e)·Italian

Breakdown of Gli zaini sono piccoli e leggeri.

essere
to be
e
and
piccolo
small
lo zaino
the backpack
leggero
light

Questions & Answers about Gli zaini sono piccoli e leggeri.

Why do both piccoli and leggeri end in -i?
They describe zaini (backpacks), which is a masculine plural noun. Regular Italian adjectives change their endings to match the noun they describe. Since the base words are piccolo (small) and leggero (light), their masculine plural ending is -i.
Why is the word for "the" Gli here instead of I?
In Italian, masculine plural nouns usually take the article i for "the". However, if the noun starts with the letter z (like zaini), a vowel, or s followed by another consonant, you must use gli instead.
How would I write this sentence in the singular ("The backpack is small and light")?
It would be: Lo zaino è piccolo e leggero. The noun and adjectives change their -i endings back to the singular masculine -o, and the special article gli changes to its singular form lo.
What if the sentence was about feminine nouns, like le borse (the bags)?
The adjectives would have to match the feminine plural noun. You would change the endings to -e, making the sentence: Le borse sono piccole e leggere.

Learn Gli zaini sono piccoli e leggeri and more in Italian

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Italian →