Learn Italian: Queste sei matite sono rosse.

Queste sei matite sono rosse.

These six pencils are red.

Breakdown of Queste sei matite sono rosse.

Questions & Answers about Queste sei matite sono rosse.

Does the number sei need to change its ending to match the feminine word matite?

No, it stays exactly as sei. In Italian, numbers from 2 onwards do not change to match the gender of the noun. Only the number one (uno or una) changes depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine.

I previously learned that "these" is questi. Why is it queste here?

Questi is used for masculine plural nouns. Because matita (pencil) is a feminine noun, its plural is matite. Therefore, the word for "these" must also take the feminine plural form, which is queste.

Why does the word for red end in an "-e" (rosse)?

Adjectives in Italian must agree with the noun they describe. The dictionary word for red is rosso, but since it describes matite (which is feminine and plural), it changes its ending to the feminine plural -e, becoming rosse.

Can I change the word order and say Queste matite sei sono rosse?

No, numbers in Italian always go directly before the noun they are counting, just like in English. So it must be sei matite (six pencils).