Learn Italian: Questi due libri sono pesanti.

Questi due libri sono pesanti.

These two books are heavy.

Breakdown of Questi due libri sono pesanti.

Questions & Answers about Questi due libri sono pesanti.

Why doesn't due change its ending to match the plural noun like Questi does?

Most numbers in Italian, including due (two), are invariable. This means their endings never change to match the gender of the noun. The only exception from 1 to 10 is uno (one), which changes to match masculine and feminine nouns (like un libro or una mela).

Are numbers always placed before the noun in Italian?

Yes! While descriptive adjectives often come after the noun in Italian, numbers are an exception. They almost always come directly before the noun they are counting, just like in English. That is why it is due libri and not libri due.

Why is it Questi and not Questo?

Questi is the masculine plural form of "this" (so it translates to "these"). Since we are talking about multiple books (due libri), and libro is a masculine noun, we have to use the masculine plural Questi.

Why does pesanti end in -i? Is it because libri is masculine?

It ends in -i because it is plural, but not necessarily because it is masculine. The singular form of the adjective is pesante (heavy). In Italian, adjectives that end in -e in the singular always change to -i in the plural, for both masculine and feminine nouns.