5.4.3 Deceptive-gender nouns

There is another set of Italian nouns that end in –a (usually –ma or –ta) that are masculine and have the plural in -i. E.g.,

• il sistema/ i sistemi

the system/ the systems

• il pianeta/ i pianeti

the planet/the planets

• il programma/ i programmi

the plan/ the plans

Following the same patterns above are: il panorama, l’atleta, il tema, il clima, il dogma, il papa (the pope), il pianeta, lo schema

Following are some other commonly used deceptive-gender nouns (ending in –ista) that relate to professions so the article will adapt according to whether a man or a woman is being referenced:

• il/la dentista

• il/la pianista

• il/la giornalista

These types of nouns are regular in the plural:

two female dentists = due dentiste

three male journalists = tre giornalisti